On-duty police officer kicked out of Olive Garden during his birthday lunch...

[OC for ME]

An on-duty police officer was kicked out of an Olive Garden in Missouri during his birthday lunch because of the gun strapped to his waist.

Michael Holsworth, 38, was sat waiting for his family to arrive at the Kansas City branch on Saturday when a waitress came over and asked him to leave.

As it is legal to carry a gun in Missouri, Holsworth laughed and replied: 'Are you joking?'

The waitress said she wasn't and ordered him out.

The this little tidbit

We deserve, and have earned, the same level of respect due to each and every member of society.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-lunch-weapon-s-legal-carry-one-Missouri.html

I'll wager that KCPD Officer Michael Holsworth would enforce a trespass on a visibly armed "member of society."

Self entitled hogwash!!!

 

[MAC702]

Most firearms accidents from carried guns are by cops. Maybe the waitress isn't so stupid after all.

 

[WalkingWolf]

He was treated like any other member in society in a gun free zone. It is clear he expected special privileges.

 

[DeSchaine]

He was treated like any other member in society in a gun free zone. It is clear he expected special privileges.

+1 to this. I may have to go to my local OG and see how long it takes for them to ask me to leave, then pitch a fit online about it. Wonder if I'll get a call from the president of the company?

 

[The Truth]

We just had an OC dinner at OG here in VA. No issues except shoddy service.

 

[solus]

We just had an OC dinner at OG here in VA. No issues except shoddy service.

uh, that is your definition of shoooooody service???

'fraid it was about 16 points below that...

ipse

 

[The Truth]

uh, that is your definition of shoooooody service???

'fraid it was about 16 points below that...

ipse

It was $hit. I was holding back...haha

 

[JustaShooter]

He was treated like any other member in society in a gun free zone.

Except, Olive Garden is not a gun-free zone. It was an individual employee taking it upon himself to eject the officer. Olive Garden is one of the Darden group of restaurants, and they have publicly stated that they follow state and local laws regarding carry:

Rich Jeffers, director of communications at Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse, said by email, "Our approach has always been that we abide by all local and state laws."

http://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/21/restaurants-were-not-pulling-a-chipotle.html

There is also at least one thread here on OCDO expressing the same policy.

 

[9026543]

Poor baby, the elite got some of the same treatment that the rest of us get. I wonder how many times he has harassed a carrier?

 

[MAC702]

Maybe some of the LEO's here can explain to me how he was "waiting for his family" and "at his own birthday party" and "in a restaurant" and, at the same time, "on duty"...

I was wondering the same. Must be that 'always on duty' elitist bullcrap.

 

[Grapeshot]

Except, Olive Garden is not a gun-free zone. It was an individual employee taking it upon himself to eject the officer. Olive Garden is one of the Darden group of restaurants, and they have publicly stated that they follow state and local laws regarding carry:

http://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/21/restaurants-were-not-pulling-a-chipotle.html

There is also at least one thread here on OCDO expressing the same policy.

Indeed Darden restaurants are gun friendly:
http://www.2acheck.com/darden-restaurants-rating/

However:
Red Lobster is not a Darden brand any longer. Red Lobster was sold to Golden Gate Capital not long ago - 2015.
http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...taurants-inc-was-selling-red-lobster-the.aspx

 

[STLDaniel]

I was wondering the same. Must be that 'always on duty' elitist bullcrap.

Nope. He was on-duty in full uniform. At least read the article before jumping on the attack.

He was meeting his family at the restaurant for his lunch on his birthday. Do officers not deserve time for lunch?

Yes there are bad cops. There are good cops as well. Neither an officer nor any of us open carrying deserves this treatment. Are we really going to just jump to conclusions and lump them all together? Are you willing to accept being lumped together with all gun owners and the actions of the few bad gun owners?

 

[OC for ME]

Nope. He was on-duty in full uniform. At least read the article before jumping on the attack.

He was meeting his family at the restaurant for his lunch on his birthday. Do officers not deserve time for lunch?

Yes there are bad cops. There are good cops as well. Neither an officer nor any of us open carrying deserves this treatment. Are we really going to just jump to conclusions and lump them all together? Are you willing to accept being lumped together with all gun owners and the actions of the few bad gun owners?

Good points. Though, even gun unfriendly businesses allow cops in uniform to carry their guns in their businesses. When they are kicked out this same response if forthcoming from the cop, the local cop shop, and the top union thug.

Brad Lemon, president of the Fraternal Order Of Police, wrote on Facebook: 'It's been an incredibly difficult day for our brother, and our entire family.

'All we ever ask is to be treated fairly and with the same respect to due anyone else. When we are treated poorly because of our chosen occupation, it hurts.

'It's not okay to treat law enforcement poorly. We deserve, and have earned, the same level of respect due to each and every member of society.'

I wonder if Officer Holsworth and Brad Lemon would be as vocal if you or I got kicked out of a gun friendly business such as OG. I wonder if the president of said business would be as forthcoming. I wonder if Brad Lemon and Officer Holsworth would be as vocal if we got kicked out of a gun unfriendly business.

Some how I think not. They see themselves as privileged and act accordingly.

 

[solus]

Nope. He was on-duty in full uniform. At least read the article before jumping on the attack.

He was meeting his family at the restaurant for his lunch on his birthday. Do officers not deserve time for lunch?

Yes there are bad cops. There are good cops as well. Neither an officer nor any of us open carrying deserves this treatment. Are we really going to just jump to conclusions and lump them all together? Are you willing to accept being lumped together with all gun owners and the actions of the few bad gun owners?

you are right, this nice LE's statement on FACEBOOK is an unbiased & self serving accounting of the event as they remember it and should be taken at face value...sure i believe he was in uniform...uh huh :uhoh: as i always celebrate my BDay with a party in the middle of the day when everyone is at work or running errands or...i do not doubt the audacity of the nice reporting LE, not one iota.

as has been pointed out...if john q public OC'r posted that on social media...absolutely nada would be done or said. oh wait, sorry, the antis might or or would say good...you were scaring us!!

further, as pointed out i do not believe it would have warranted a call from the organizational president unless the men in blue's union publicly raised the campaign flags whinning loudly about the unfair treatment of one of their own.

tell you what, get thrown out of someplace, post it on social media and i'll raise the campaign flag while whining about your unfair treatment and wait by the fone for the call...fair!!

ipse

added thought: i do know in the tarheel state, waitstaff or other minions do not have the authority ask you to leave...only those in charge of the property maintain that capability!! oh wait, surely the offended LE would be aware of that or at least ask to speak to management before sheepishly leaving ~ something is rotten in this story.

 

[OC for ME]

... ~ something is rotten in this story.

Now now, it was his birthday.

 

[solus]

Now now, it was his birthday.

then the nice LE got a wonderful Bday present...object lesson in reality and how the other folk live.

just saying..

ipse

 

[Ezek]

good to see the discussion alive here in OCDO LOL

heard about this at work yesterday, the discussion was brief but enlightening.

wonder if it's all the anti gun brainwashing done in school.

 

[OC for ME]

Motivation of the employee is of some import, the focus is more appropriately on the reaction of Officer Holsworth and that union thug Brad Lemon. Then again the employee was only following orders. Either way, Holsworth nor Lemon will be voicing such outrage if I got booted from a gun friendly business for OCing.

 

[MAC702]

Nope. He was on-duty in full uniform. At least read the article before jumping on the attack.

He was meeting his family at the restaurant for his lunch on his birthday. Do officers not deserve time for lunch?

Yes there are bad cops. There are good cops as well. Neither an officer nor any of us open carrying deserves this treatment. Are we really going to just jump to conclusions and lump them all together? Are you willing to accept being lumped together with all gun owners and the actions of the few bad gun owners?

I read the full article before discussing it. Don't be insulting if you care to join the discussion.

Interestingly enough, the officer says he thought it was a joke when she told him to leave because of the gun. Why would this be? It would only be a funny joke if he agreed it was perfectly fine for the average citizen to be told to leave for that reason.

How long is a reasonable lunch period for an "on duty" cop before the lunch is not considered "on duty?" Compare your answer with every other occupation that gets a paid lunch. But he has time to wait for his family to join him for a birthday lunch? It's a fair question, even if we won't get to know the answer.

If I was simply attacking I would admit I laughed that a man who does paperwork for a living writes: "would of thought" and "would of happened."

 

[JustaShooter]

Red Lobster is not a Darden brand any longer. Red Lobster was sold to Golden Gate Capital not long ago - 2015.
http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...taurants-inc-was-selling-red-lobster-the.aspx

Thanks for the update, I wasn't aware of that. Their policy doesn't seem to have shifted - yet. The wife and I open carried in there just a couple of weeks ago.