On June 15, three New York City police officers were hospitalized after they drank milkshakes at a Shake Shack branch in New York City. According to reports, the milkshake was laced with bleach.
Intentional poisoning?
The three officers went to a Shake Shack branch in Lower Manhattan, and during their meal, all three of them began to feel sick. On June 16, the New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association or NYC PBA released a statement that states the three officers had ingested bleach.
According to the NYC PBA, the officers discovered bleach had been placed in their milkshakes and the contamination was not discovered until the three officers had already drunk their beverages. The three officers were immediately rushed to the local hospital and they are currently receiving treatment.
However, both the New York Police Department and Shake Shack, tweeted that after a thorough investigation, there was no evidence that the poisoning was done deliberately nor was it done by any of the employees of the restaurant. This is in spite of what the NYC PBA had stated.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison did not elaborate on the investigation or how the chemical got into the milkshakes of the officers in the first place. The Detective's Endowment Agency or DEA issued a statement and said that they believed that the officers had been intentionally poisoned.
In the statement, the DEA said that fortunately, the three officers were not seriously harmed and are all expected to recover soon. The DEA also addressed the growing disdain of the public towards police officers in the country.
The statement read that police officers are currently under attack by criminals who dislike the force and that the "cowards" will go to great lengths to harm a member of the law enforcement.
Shake Shack tweeted that they are horrified by the reports of the three police officers injured in one of their branches and that they are working with the police in their investigation of the incident.
Alert at all times
Both the DEA and the NYC PBA warned police officers to be careful when purchasing and consuming food while they are in uniform.
The DEA urges police officers across the country not to purchase food from locations that are unknown to them. The department also asked the police to be alert and to keep their eyes open. The DEA added that police officers must inspect their vehicles and stay with their partners at all times.
The DEA also encouraged the officers to back each other up if necessary. Meanwhile, the NYC PBA stated that members of the law enforcement are advised to inspect any food item that they bought while on duty, in case it is contaminated.
If possible, the NYC PBA encouraged officers to eat in groups of two or more and to remain alert during the duration of their meal period.
New York is one of the states that has participated in the protest against police brutality and systemic racism, the protest began on May 25, after an unarmed black man, George Floyd, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
