A business is getting online blowback after one of its employees allegedly refused service to a Seattle police officer recently, according to KOMO.
The incident repotedly went down at the Chocolati in Wallingford. A field training officer and a student officer, who was also an immigrant from France, according to Mike Solan, the president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild. The incident has also prompted some outrage on social media.
“They’re a bit distraught and dismayed,” Solan told reporters. “To be treated in that matter, I think they were taken aback. It’s a bit of a shock, to say the least.” He described the majority of public interactions with officers as "positive."
No word on what prompted the employee to allegedly not serve the cops, but the action itself isn't illegal.
“There are certain protected classes of people,” said civil rights attorney John Tymczyszyn. “And a police officer is not part of those protected classes.” He did note that it's not "inconceivable" that first responders or public servants could be added to the list.
Tymczyszyn also said it may become a problem if this employee makes decisions on who to serve, leading to them potentially discriminating against someone in a protected class.
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