A Taco Bell employee in Newton, Kansas, was fired over the weekend after a uniformed police officer said they wrote the word "PIG" on his order on Saturday night, local station KSHB reported.
A photo of the wrapper was posted all over Facebook by angry locals and police support groups looking for an answer from Taco Bell:
The company initially responded by issuing a statement saying they had apologized to the police officer in question, and offered to replace his order, the Kansan reported.
The Newton Police Department posted a statement on their website saying they support the local franchise at 1403 N.Main, and are working with Taco Bell management to put together some kind of community event to make that clear.
"We understand the incident was the action of an individual, and do not hold ill will to Taco Bell or any of its employees (even the individual who wrote the message). We look forward to a long partnership with this local business, and sincerely hope this negative experience can be a catalyst for positive change," the statement says.
But people on Facebook were not placated:
Late last night, KAKE TV reported that the Taco Bell employee involved was fired over the incident–a Taco Bell spokesperson confirmed this to Fusion today:
“Our franchisee apologizes for the worker’s behavior and is working closely with Newton Police and the officer to correct the situation. He has identified and let go the worker who was responsible, and does not share the same belief or views as the employee," the spokesperson said in the statement.