Facebook Post Reveals South Carolina Krispy Kreme Employee Refusing to Serve Police

A Facebook post relating the story of employee at a Krispy Kreme donut shop refusing to serve a police officer in Columbia, South Carolina, has gone viral and provoked a response from the officers involved.

The Richland County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department is assuring Krispy Kreme officials they do not intend to take any action after a story hit Facebook describing an incident where an employee of the store refused to serve an officer who had pulled up to the shop’s drive-through window.

Facebook user Jeremy Thompson observed the incident and wrote that he will “never ever step foot in a Krispy Kreme ever again” because of what he witnessed.

Thompson said when a female employee manning the drive-through window looked out and saw the officer, she said, “I ain’t doin’ this one. No way I’m not serving him. Someone else is going to have to take care of him cause I ain’t doin’ it.”

“I looked out the window,” Thompson wrote, “and it was a police officer. I looked at the lady and asked her why she wouldn’t serve him. She said ‘I don’t do the Police.'”

A few days after the incident, the manager of the Krispy Kreme location said the employee’s behavior was an “unacceptable situation.”

“I wanted to write and assure you that we have not only dealt with the employee with strong disciplinary action but to apologize directly to the entire department,” district manager Mechelle Carey said in a public statement. “We have a long standing and wonderful relationship with all our local law-enforcement, military and first responders – this partnership is incredibly important to us.”

For its part, the Richland Sheriff’s Department said on its own Facebook post that the employee’s actions should not reflect poorly on everyone at the location:

An incident involving the Krispy Kreme on Clemson Rd, SC where an employee refused to serve a law enforcement officer solely because he was a cop recently occurred and a witness posted the incident on social media which reached the attention of many. While unfortunate situations being shared and discussed via social media and other avenues is greatly appreciated so that corrective action can take place, the law enforcement community is certainly one who understands that the poor actions of one employee does not properly represent the views and values of the community, business, organization, etc. as a whole. The following are the correspondents between Mechelle Carey, manager of the Krispy Kreme on Clemson Rd where the incident occurred, and Sheriff Leon Lott. We sincerely thank our Krispy Kreme friends.

The Sheriff’s Department’s Facebook posting also contained the note from Krispy Kreme manager Carey:

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.