The News Courier received the following statement from Taco Bell and Tacala regarding the Athens police officer who was not served Saturday:

“Taco Bell and Tacala, the franchise owner of the Athens, Alabama Taco Bell, are deeply appreciative of law enforcement and would in no way endorse or accept behavior that would discriminate against them, or anyone else for that matter. Upon thorough investigation of surveillance video and employee statements, the franchisee has concluded that all four team members and the manager were in the kitchen area getting ready for the lunch rush and could not see the front counter, which is a lapse in protocol. Tacala has begun re-training its staff on proper customer service, and it has formally apologized to the police department for the misunderstanding.”