Multiple police officers were reportedly denied service at a Seattle, Washington, chocolate shop.
“No, I won’t serve you,” one of the uniformed police officers, accompanied by a trainee, was told by an employee after attempting to make a purchase at an establishment named Chocolati, according to the Post Millennial.
A third officer told the news outlet that he had experienced the same treatment at a different Chocolati location.
BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS AT GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE PLEADING FOR HELP AS CRIME SPIKES AND REVENUE PLUMMETS
When contacted by the Post Millennial, a Chocolati employee responded by telling the reporter to “go f— yourself.”
Chocolati’s website states that the company’s goal is to “grow at a steady pace without compromising the quality and the personal attention we give to our customers and to our chocolates.”
The company also promoted the Black Lives Matter movement on social media, calling on customers to take part in Blackout Day 2020, meaning they only spend money at businesses owned by black people that day.
The Seattle Police Department is currently facing a “staffing crisis beyond mitigation,” according to interim Police Chief Adrian Diaz. Seattle’s Mayor Jenny Durkan signed a city budget in December that slashes police funding by 20% in response to demands from Black Lives Matter activists.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Police departments have experienced an exodus of officers amid the climate, including in Seattle, where the police force reportedly has the lowest number of deployable officers since the 1980s. Additionally, a record 193 officers left the Seattle Police Department in 2020 via resignation, transfer, or retirements, according to the Post Millennial.
The Washington Examiner reached out to both Mayor Durkan’s office and Chocolati and did not immediately receive a response.
