A Providence police officer, who has declined to be named, was upset when a Dunkin Donuts employee handed him his coffee with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter written on the cup.
The officer said that the employee was rude and seemed reluctant to serve him. He said that he was concerned that his coffee might have been tampered with when he received it.
“It’s very discouraging. When you’re just trying to get a cup of coffee,” said Clarence Gough, a member of the Police Union, FOP Lodge.
“The ‘Black lives matter,’ and posting stuff like this against our officers is unacceptable,” said Roger Aspinall, another member of the FOP Lodge.
On Saturday, members of the police union emphasized the idea that they were not trying to racially discriminate against the community.
“When we get a call for service, we don’t ask if the person is black or white. If they’re Asian or Spanish. We go for the call for service. And we do the best we can for the public at large. That is our commitment to the city. And this country,” said Gough.
Dunkin Donuts has since responded to the incident, saying, “The franchise owner has apologized to the police officer on behalf of Dunkin’ Donuts, and he has counseled the employee, who has apologized for the incident.”