The owner of the restaurant, located in Fort Myers, Fla., is hoping the officer will retract his statements. (Google; AP)
A Florida police officer who took to social media on Wednesday to accuse a Burger King employee of sprinkling dirt in his sandwich is reportedly walking back his accusations.
Officer Tim McCormick of the Fort Myers Police Department was reportedly shown security footage from the kitchen of the Burger King on Thursday, and admitted that he was mistaken in his initial claims, according to the restaurant owner, who spoke with the Fort Myers News-Press.
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McCormick had initially written in Wednesday's Facebook post that he had ordered a meal at the drive-thru window of a local Burger King restaurant only to find that, at his last bite, the sandwich appeared to have dirt in it, the Fort Myers News-Press first reported.
"I was the officer who was served a burger at Burger King at 4004 Cleveland Avenue in Ft. Myers with dirt in it,” wrote McCormick. “At first I thought it was just burned old bacon, I was hungry and ate the burger, at the last bite I saw dirt and grit on the burger. In disgust, I threw it out of the window.”
McCormick also suggested that the workers targeted him because he was a law enforcement officer, claiming “this is how” first responders sometimes get treated.
The Facebook post, which is no longer active, soon had users calling for a boycott of the restaurant, and was shared more than 18,000 times, according to WMFY.
The police officer claimed there was "dirt and grime" in the burger he was served at the Fort Myers Burger King, but the owner says footage shows otherwise. (Google)
Dan Fitzpatrick, the CEO of the company that owns that particular Burger King franchise, as well as many others in the Florida area, quickly responded to the news and spoke with the police department Wednesday.
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Fitzpatrick further claims he screened security footage from the kitchen for other officers on Wednesday, which appeared to clear the employee’s name, and suggest that what the officer reported to be “dirt and grit” was actually just a spice mixture sprinkled on the patties.
“The officers along with the regional manager reviewed video of the cooking process the day the officer received his meal,” said Fitzpatrick.
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Jay Rodriguez, the captain of the Fort Myers Police Department, had said he hoped for a quick resolution, as the Burger King workers had “no malicious intent,” despite what McCormick believed when he posted his claims to Facebook.
Fitzpatrick also said he hoped McCormick would retract his allegations “in whatever manner he chooses.”
McCormick was not available to provide comment to the News-Press on Thursday.