Three police officers from the San Francisco Police Department were denied service at a dining establishment on Friday because the staff was “uncomfortable” with their weapons, the restaurant said through social media, KRON4 reported.
The post said that the staff at Hilda and Jesse, with location on Powell and Union Street, politely requested the uniformed police officers to leave, not long before they settled in their seats.
The weapons possessed by the officers urged the staff to not provide their service to the officers as Hilda and Jess said that the dining place is a “safe space.”
The restaurant said sorry for the incident on Sunday through its post on Instagram.
“We made a mistake and apologize for the unfortunate incident on Friday when we asked members of the San Francisco Police Department to leave our restaurant,” the restaurant said.
“We are grateful to all members of the force who work hard to keep us safe, especially during these challenging times. We hope this will be a teachable moment for us as we repair and continue to build bridges with the SFPD. These are stressful times, and we handled this badly,” it added.
On Saturday, the business clarified that their move does not imply any political stance.
The action was encouraged on what they believe could be best for their workers, it said.
In a tweet, SFPD Chief William Scott aired his remarks regarding the incident.
“The San Francisco Police Department stands for safety with respect, even when it means respecting wishes that our officers and I find discouraging and personally disappointing,” Scott said, adding that “I believe the vast majority of San Franciscans welcome their police officers, who deserve to know that they are appreciated for the difficult job we ask them to do — in their uniforms — to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe.”
