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VERIFY: Shake Shack employees did not intentionally poison NYPD officers

An investigation found that there was no criminality in the actions of Shake Shack employees after three officers became ill.

The New York City Detectives’ Endowment Association put out a since-deleted tweet last night claiming that three officers were intentionally poisoned by one or more employees at a Manhattan Shake Shack.

This claim was made at a highly-charged time when people around the country, including in New York City, have protested police brutality and some people have called for defunding or abolishing police departments.

But the NYCDEA removed their accusations after an NYPD investigation

Credit: Twitter

THE QUESTION

Did Shake Shack employees intentionally poison New York City police officers?

THE ANSWER

No.

Three officers did go to the hospital after drinking milkshakes from Shake Shack. However, investigators from the NYPD did not find criminality and a statement later said that this wasn’t intentional.

WHAT WE FOUND

A news release from the NYCDEA, which is still on their website, says the officers became ill and went to the hospital after tasting the milkshakes but the officers were not seriously harmed.

A statement from the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association specified that the toxic substance was believed to be bleach.

Both the statements from the NYCDEA and NYCPBA framed the incident as an intentional contamination of the officers’ milkshakes and used it as an example of attacks on police officers.

However, the NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said this morning that an investigation concluded there was no criminality by Shake Shack employees.

A follow-up tweet from the NYCPBA confirmed that the police officers had been released from the hospital and current evidence suggests that Shake Shack employees did not contaminate the milkshakes intentionally.

The NYCDEA deleted their original tweet accusing the Shake Shack employees of intentionally contaminating the drinks. In a follow-up tweet they said, “evidently, however, the toxic substance, a cleaning solution, accidentally made its way into the officers' shakes.” 

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