INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (Oct. 12, 2015) – The president of Olive Garden personally apologized to an on-duty police officer who was told to leave a Missouri restaurant because of his gun.
The incident happened in Independence, Mo., on Sunday, according to WDAF. Kansas City police officer Michael Holsworth went to the restaurant for a birthday lunch with his family when he was asked to leave. He wrote about the experience on Facebook.
“I walked in and sat down on a bench just inside the doors. As I was sitting there waiting, one of the employees told me, ‘sir, we don’t allow guns in here,'” he wrote.
The restaurant chain heard about the incident and reached out to Holsworth to apologize. The president of the company personally called the officer and said a hostess, not a member of the management, told Holsworth to leave. The officer released another statement after the situation was resolved:
“My experience today at Olive Garden was extremely unfortunate. I posted on Facebook about the treatment I received because I did not want other officers to be subjected to the same embarrassing situation that occurred today. I had hoped to simply enjoy an uninterrupted birthday meal with my family. I never believed I would be asked to leave a public restaurant because I was in full police uniform which requires me to carry my duty weapon. It is my hope that Olive Garden handles this situation appropriately so no other officer has the same experience I had today. I ask that the media and others respect my privacy and devote their attentions to altering the general narrative about police officers in a more positive direction so this type of situation does not occur in the future.”
An Olive Garden spokesman said the restaurant “follows whatever the local law allows as it relates to civilians” when it comes to conceal and carry. He added that police officers are always welcome inside with their service weapons and characterized the incident as a misunderstanding.
Well cops are supporting the gun hysteria, so they shouldn’t be surprised to become victims of it.
I would have thrown him out just for being a cop, gun or not.
“Sir, we don’t allow psychotic, sadistic, and steroid-addicted freaks in our establishment. Please leave before your presence causes the rest of the customers to leave instead”.
LOL, exactly.
I never thought about it that way J.R. but having a disgusting, filthy, stinking pig in your establishment would drive away business. I suppose putting a sign up saying “No pigs allowed” would be deemed discriminatory. If you own a coffee and doughnut gig, you asked for it. It disgusts me just to be around a pig, I would never enter a business if a pig’s sitting in it. A pig is a pig is a pig.
I have gotten up and left before being waited on due to cops coming in or seeing pigs at the trough
Hey I value my life and it’s just like leaving a place due to loud mouth black women .. I don’t HAVE to put up with being in the same place as either one
My right to go somewhere else that’s a bit more comfortable
If a place is a gun free zone, then it applies to EVERY ONE!
Here is what “Olive Garden” should do next: get rid of their God-awful “Italian” food! As someone who grew up eating real Italian food (BTW I am NOT Italian, but I grew up in a mostly Italian neighborhood on Long Island), you so-called “food” is a joke! I, a German-Irish-Scots-Irish descended American can make better pasta than you’ll ever hope to make! You insult the notion of olives! Only worse restaurant chain is Red Lobster…worst seafood ever!
“It is my hope that Olive Garden handles this situation appropriately so no other officer has the same experience I had today.”
Least of your worries, scumbag. It’s gonna get a whole lot uglier than THAT. You’ll have way more to snivel about once the SHTF.
Like your (miserable, worthless) life.