PA Bill Number: HB2311
Title: Establishing the School Mental Health Screening Grant and Development Program.
Description: Establishing the School Mental Health Screening Grant and Development Program. ...
Last Action: Laid on the table
Last Action Date: Sep 23, 2024
Cheesecake Factory Kicks Out On-Duty Officers: 'Guns Are Not Allowed' :: 12/24/2016
A group of on-duty law enforcement officers in Tacoma, Washington were turned away from The Cheesecake Factory because they were wearing their service pistols. They were told by the manager that guns weren’t allowed inside the restaurant.
One of the officers, Miriam Nichols, wrote to The Cheesecake Factory’s Facebook page describing the experience:
“I am local law enforcement and 5 coworkers and I were told to leave by the general manager, Will, of your Tacoma Mall location, because 3 of us were wearing our badge, gun and were visibly identifiable as on duty law enforcement. We were told the guns are not allowed whether you are law enforcement or not, they are not welcome. Everyone in our party were extremely upset at the lack of support we received at this location. One of our group members informed her husband who immediately contacted the establishment and was eventually routed to Will who told him that corporate has a strict no gun policy and that no person carrying a firearm, to include on duty law enforcement, we’re not welcome to eat there. When we walked in, no one in our group saw any sign that said no firearms allowed.”
Nichols was at the location to celebrate a Christmas gift exchange with her co-workers from Washington State Corrections. She said they were just about to be seated when the problem arose. Nichols stressed that everyone was polite but made it clear there was a strict, no gun policy. The group didn’t want to disarm and leave their weapons inside their vehicles and vulnerable to theft, so the only choice was to find another place to eat.
“They kept apologizing saying it’s policy, it’s policy, we’re sorry, but we have to ask you to leave,” Nichols said.
After the post went viral, and with it rumblings of boycotts, the corporate office responded. As it turns out, Tacoma manager Will was wrong about the restaurant’s gun policy:
“Our policy is to allow uniformed and identified law enforcement officials to possess their service weapons on our premises. To the extent that there was a miscommunication of our policy, we sincerely apologize.”
The corrections department was contacted directly by the corporate office, as well, and told the manager was “misinformed.”
Nichols said, “I can say I’ve never had that type of reaction before, so it does lead me to believe it was a misunderstanding.”
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/cheesecake-factory-kicks-out-duty-officers-guns-are-not-allowed
