The New York City Police Department concluded that no Shake Shack employee intentionally poisoned the food purchased by three police officers amid allegations.
The investigators determined early Tuesday morning that there was “no criminality” perpetrated by any employee, according to a tweet from NYPD Detective Chief Rodney Harrison. Investigators believe the substance was actually a cleaning solution that had been used to clean the milkshake machine and that the machine still had some of the substance in it when the employee went to make their food, according to CNN.
The Detectives’ Endowment Association, a labor union supporting 20,000 active and retired detectives in New York City, previously alleged that the three officers were “intentionally poisoned” by one or more workers at the Shake Shake restaurant in Lower Manhattan on Monday. Similarly, the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, a union representing officers, said the three officers discovered “a toxic substance, believed to be bleach” in their drinks.
“After tasting the milk shakes they purchased they became ill, making it necessary for them to go to an area hospital. Fortunately, our fellow officers were not seriously harmed,” said a statement from Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo and the Detectives’ Endowment Association Board of Officers.
“We are horrified by the reports of police officers injured at our 200 Broadway Shack in Manhattan. We are working with the police in their investigation right now,” Shake Shake said in a tweet Monday. Following Harrison’s tweet regarding the investigation, the fast-food joint added, “Our team is working hard to get the full picture. In the meantime, we’re relieved to hear the officers are all okay.”
The incident comes amid weeks of widespread protests against police brutality after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on Memorial Day after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite his pleas for air. Hundreds of NYPD officers have been injured throughout the last three weeks of protests, while others have reportedly threatened to leave the force.
