A Kay Jewelers location in Statesville, North Carolina, reportedly refused service to a uniformed sheriff’s deputy Tuesday, citing the store’s firearms policy.
According to a Wednesday Facebook post from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department, the deputy went to the store during a meal break to pick up an engagement ring he had already paid for and was having sized before he proposed. He was told upon his arrival, however, that he would not be allowed to enter the store while wearing his service revolver.
The deputy, whose name has not been revealed, informed the store manager that he would be violating department policy if he removed the weapon while he was in uniform and his marked car was parked in the store’s parking lot, but the manager stood firm and told him that he would have to return when he was not in uniform. (RELATED: Study Reveals The Best And Worst States To Be A Police Officer)
“This policy is in place for not only the safety of the deputy but the general public as well,” the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department explained in the Facebook post. “The manager stated our deputy would need to return to the store at a different time when he was not armed. The deputy left the store without the ring he had purchased.”
WBTV, a CBS affiliate in nearby Charlotte, reported Wednesday that Kay Jewelers had responded to the incident, saying, “We have tremendous respect for law enforcement, and we thank the Office for bringing this to our attention. We will be sure to reinforce store training regarding our firearm policy with specific regard to uniformed law enforcement.”
The statement also indicated that the store was reaching out personally to the deputy to make things right.