Restaurant Owner Apologizes For Banning Cops, Says 'It Was A Misunderstanding'

Tensions with police have escalated across America, and now one Chinese restaurant in Washington state has been thrown into the ring. Local police deputies were shocked last week when they paid for a meal at Lucky Teriyaki and were told to never come back. The owner of the restaurant has since apologized to the Skagit County Police Department, calling the seemingly loaded request a mere language barrier problem, according to NBC News.

The incident occurred last Thursday during a normal meal at the restaurant. Four deputies were told that customers didn't want to eat with cops and to "spread the word to other police departments in the area." The police chief called the restaurant to confirm the request and got the same answer. The chief deputy posted a critical review on Facebook about the experience. Since then, the restaurant's Yelp page has been flooded with scathing reviews.

When the restaurant owner, Michael Li, began to understand what had happened, he and his son went together to the police station to apologize. According to The Inquisitr, he broke down in tears, apologizing for his son who made the comments after being up all night with his newborn son and had been unable to articulate himself properly in English.

"Some people on Facebook have said they'll drive up from California. I'm scared," Li said in a statement. "My language skills are not good. I deeply apologize. Please forgive me. I hope people can understand and support me. We want them to come."

The police officers said they have since buried the hatchet, but supporters of the deputies said they would still refuse to eat there.