MARGATE, Fla. – Officer George Woolley, director of the Fraternal Order of Police District 5, took to Facebook on Thursday to caution officers about going to a Burger King in Margate, WPLG reports.
That's where Woolley said an employee suggested that an officer's treatment of a homeless veteran would have been different had the man been black.
"I would caution officers about dinning at this establishment," Woolley said in a Facebook post. "Recent reports of officers either being refused service or receiving poor service -- or even worse -- have been occurring throughout the United States. We have been made aware of how this establishment's employees feel about law enforcement and I personally will not patronize this restaurant."
Woolley said officers were called to the fast food restaurant at 550 N SR 7 to remove a customer, who turned out to be an elderly homeless veteran "who was in crisis and in need of services."
The homeless veteran had walked into the Burger King for a Dr. Pepper without a shirt on, which prompted someone at the restaurant to call police.
Woolley told Local 10 News that the only shirt the veteran owns is a black fleece hoodie and he had taken it off due to the hot weather.
There isn't a sign posted outside the restaurant that states shirts are required.
"They'd asked him to leave and the homeless veteran was insulted by the manager, and they exchanged words about him being a veteran," Woolley said in a phone interview with Local 10 News.
While officers were responding to the incident, a clerk from behind the counter stated, "They are being nice to him because he is white. If he was black they would have cuffed him and dragged him out," Woolley said on Facebook.
"It wasn't helping the situation," Woolley said over the phone.
One of the officers in the store asked to speak to a manager about the comment, but the manager didn't seem responsive, according to Woolley.
The district office of Burger King was contacted after the incident, which happened at about 2 p.m., and as of 4:45 p.m., Woolley had not heard back.
Customers in the store thanked the officers for the way they handled the situation.
When people make racial comments toward officers, Woolley said it "takes you back for a second" because "We treat everyone as fair as we possibly can."
This is just the latest incident involving South Florida law enforcement
On Friday, a North Miami Beach officer was picking up an order at a Burger Fi in Aventura when she was asked by an employee "Do you shoot black people?" and "If I put my license and registration on the window of my car without rolling it down, will you shoot me?"
The owner of this restaurant said the incident was all a big misunderstanding.
Earlier this month, a Miramar gas station fired one of its employees after he denied service to an officer.
Woolley said he isn't asking for a boycott of Burger King because "I know it's not every Burger King," but wants officers to use caution.
"If you're going to spend money on food, go somewhere they're going to appreciate you," he said. "When someone cops that attitude, I don't have to bring my business there."