The owners of a Taco Bell in Phenix City, Alabama, have fired an employee who refused service to two Lee County Sheriff deputies Saturday night. The story rose to national prominence after the wife of a deputy sheriff took to her Facebook page.
Tammy Bush Mayo, who said she was the wife of a Lee County Deputy Sheriff, said on her Facebook page she was upset after her husband said one of his deputies was refused service at the Taco Bell.
"My husband is a Deputy Sheriff in Lee County, Alabama and tonight a Deputy on his shift went into Taco Bell in Phenix City, AL and was told that they don't serve cops," she said in her post. "This really disturbs me that people have started treating law enforcement professionals in this manner when these same law enforcement professionals put their lives on the line every day to protect all people, including this woman with a very bad attitude at Taco Bell."
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones confirmed the accuracy of the story. Jones said two deputies went into a Taco Bell owned by Tacala LLC. on U.S. Highway 280 in Phenix City. Upon ordering at about 9:40 p.m., the counter employee told the deputies that she couldn't serve law enforcement.
"They initially of course thought she was kidding, and they asked her that," Jones said. "She said no, and that they needed to leave."
Jones said the deputies then left the establishment. As they were leaving, they heard a customer who was eating at the establishment tell the counter employee they were happy she didn't serve the deputies because she "didn't want to eat with cops."
"I was very disappointed that two law enforcement officers were treated that way," Jones said. "We try to accord people basic respect as a matter of professionalism in everything we do everyday, and all we ask in return is that same basic respect."
Jones said he assumed from the beginning that the incident was the action of a single employee, not the management. It turned out to be that way when Tacala management quickly responded Sunday night, issuing a statement condemning the employees behavior.
And by late Sunday night, the employee had been fired.
"It would be unfair for us to consider Taco Bell as a company anti-law enforcement or as anti-public safety as much as it would be for them to consider all law enforcement as bad based on the actions of one officer," Jones said.
The sheriff also said he was impressed and thankful at the speed in which the management responded to the situation. The owners also offered a personal apology to both deputies involved and Jones' office as a whole.
"As far as distrust, I would point to the fact that in the wake of this incident, we have received as what I would classify as overwhelming support from inside the community and from outside the community," Jones said. "If you take this incident as a negative and turn it to the positive side, ... it has, in some ways, re-energized people's efforts to let law enforcement know that they appreciate them and that they respect them."
Yesterday, two police officers and a sheriff deputy were killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after weeks of protest against police in that city. The protests originated after the police-involved shooting of Alton Sterling.
Only a few weeks earlier, five police officers were killed in Dallas while protecting protesters involved in a Black Lives Matter rally in the city.
"It certainly would lend itself to being compared in regard to the current attitude of some individuals in this country who are not pleased with law enforcement," Jones said. "And there are some issues that need to be addressed."
Jones said he and his officers strive everyday to show the community they care about them.
"We maintain a culture of community support at this office," Jones said. "That is what we believe in. We believe that we are here because of the public's desire and permission to perform the job that we do everyday, and that is one of service the public ... and holding the line between lawlessness and conduct."
"We never lose sight of the fact that without the support of the public we serve, we would not be successful at our job. We get that. We understand that. It is a matter of professionalism for us. ... I certainly want to ensure the public and our citizens that we known that it is our mission to work for them and do what we can to serve them."
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