Three NYPD cops were rushed to the hospital after they consumed shakes allegedly laced with bleach. The officers had bought the treat from Shake Shack located at lower Manhattan, reports said. No arrests have been made yet in the alleged hate-crime incident against cops, which took place on Monday night.
The alleged cop-poisoning bid happened amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests across the US over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last month. Since then, several incidents of police atrocities involving black people have been reported across the country.
All Three Cops Are Stable and Alert; Investigation ordered
According to the New York Post, the officers bought frozen shakes from the Shake Shack location on Broadway near Fulton Street. "The officers immediately noticed a funny taste, possibly bleach, when they sipped the frozen treat," sources told the outlet. The officers were taken immediately to the Bellevue Hospital, where they are reported to be alert and conscious.
The officers were from the 42 Precinct in the Bronx. On Monday night, the trio was detailed in Manhattan, on the night of the incident.
An investigation has been launched into the incident with the police authorities probing the restaurant. The investigators retrieved one of the three shakes thrown by the cops after they suspected it to be spiked with bleach, late on Monday night. Later, a cop was seen standing guard over one of the empty milkshake cups next to an outdoor trash bin, reported the publication.
Police Unions Call the Incident an 'Attack on Police'
Confirming the incident in a tweet, New York's Police Benevolent Association asked the cops to be vigilant and not let their guard down. "When NYC police officers cannot even take meal without coming under attack, it is clear that environment in which we work has deteriorated to a critical level. We cannot afford to let our guard down for even a moment," read the tweet.
In a letter posted on Twitter, the Association's President Patrick J. Lynch wrote: "All PBA members are advised to carefully inspect any prepared food item they purchase while on duty for possible contamination. Whenever possible take meals in groups of two or more and remain vigilant for the duration of meal prepared."
Claiming that the officers were intentionally poisoned, Detectives Endowment Association of the City of New York (DEA) tweeted: "Tonight, three of our fellow officers were intentionally poisoned by one or more workers at the Shake Shack at 200 Broadway in Manhattan. Fortunately, they were not seriously harmed. Please see the safety alert."
Meanwhile, Shake Shack responded in a tweet saying that they were horrified by the reports of police officers injured at one of their outlets. "We are working with the police in their investigation right now," it stated in the tweet.
