Sheriff: Restaurant owner told his deputies law enforcement no longer welcome

The request left Reichardt “speechless” according to the post, adding that the chief deputy “simply could not believe what he was hearing” when he spoke to the owner.

The owners of the restaurant told KOMO News through an interpreter that an employee misinterpreted customers upset at an unrelated issue to be uncomfortable that police were eating in the restaurant. The majority of people were angry and said they were going to boycott the restaurant.

Facebook readers have posted almost 8,000 comments to the sheriff’s post.

The owner received major public backlash after the incident was posted on Facebook.

He’s offering to have all law enforcement officers to come to the restaurant and eat for free on Monday.

“Particularly on the heels of the United We Stand by our Law Enforcement event that was such an overpowering show of appreciation for our deputies and officers serving Skagit County”, Reichardt wrote from the official Skagit County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. “The owner not only repeated the request but asked that we spread the word to other law enforcement that they were no longer welcome either”.

The first instance occurred when two deputies went up to pay for their meal, during which time the owner requested that they not eat there anymore.

A Chinese restaurant in Skagit County, Washington, has become the target of boycotts and threats after the county’s sheriff wrote in a Facebook that his deputies were asked not to eat there.

Reichardt acknowledged that business owners have the right to refuse service.

The post by Friday had recorded more than 15,000 reactions and 27,500-plus shares.

Many comments expressed outrage at law enforcement being banned from the restaurant, while others were skeptical.

The owner, identified as “Mr. Li”, began sobbing on camera with Seattle’s KIRO 7 News as he tried to explain that the whole situation was a misunderstanding due to the language barrier between him and the deputies. “Police not welcome here”, is how they believe it was interpreted by the deputies. He said that customers don’t like us there (one had just stopped by the table to thank them). He had his chief deputy contact the owner to confirm the information.