Three New York City police officers were taken to the hospital Monday night after drinking milkshakes that contained a foreign substance that may have been bleach at a Shake Shack restaurant in Manhattan, officials said.
The officers, all three in uniform, are expected to survive.
The NYPD did not confirm what was in the drink Monday night, but Police Benevolent Association, a police union, said in a statement to members that the substance is thought to be bleach.
“The contamination was not discovered until the MOS had already ingested a portion of their beverages,” the union said in a statement, using an acronym for member of service. “They are currently at the hospital receiving treatment and are expected to recover.”
A New York City official said the initial indication is that the substance was bleach.
Shake Shack said it was disturbed by the incident and working with officials.
“We are horrified by the reports of police officers injured at our 200 Broadway Shack in Manhattan,” the popular chain tweeted Monday night. “We are working with the police in their investigation right now.”
New York City has been roiled with protests and unrest following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.
The union said the sickened officers had been on protest detail. But a motive and more information in the apparent incident, such as whether it is thought to be linked to that, was not clear Monday night.
The police union tweeted that “When NYC police officers cannot even take meal without coming under attack, it is clear that environment in which we work has deteriorated to a critical level.”
