NYPD: Razor blade inside officer's sandwich in Queens was accidental

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Saturday, December 7, 2019
NYPD: Razor blade inside officer's sandwich in Queens was accidental
Joe Torres has the details.

BELLE HARBOR, Queens (WABC) -- The NYPD investigation has determined that the sandwich served to a plainclothes NYPD officer that contained a razor blade in Queens was accidental.

The officer bit into the sandwich and said he felt a sharp pain to his mouth and a hard metal object.

The incident happened Thursday afternoon at a Bon Appetit Special Food Store located at 418 Beach 129th Street in Belle Harbor.

After reaching into his mouth, the officer said he discovered that the object he bit into was actually a metal razor blade.

"After a thorough investigation by NYPD Detectives, it's been determined that the razor incident was indeed an accident," NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said on Twitter. "Thankfully, our officer or another customer wasn't seriously injured. Appropriate agencies have been notified for follow up to ensure this never happens again."

Bon Appetit released a statement, as well, apologizing for the incident:

"First, we would like to extend our deepest apologies to the officer involved in this unfortunate incident. In our experience, the NYPD Officers of the 100th and 101st precincts have been an exemplary example of professionalism and service to not only our business but to our local community in the Rockaways, Queens, and New York City at large. If given the opportunity, the management of Bon Appetit would like to personally apologize to the officer and the rest of the local law enforcement community. We take great pride in our food. Our mission is to leave our customers satisfied every time. From our sandwiches to our pasta, we want to deliver the best quality and experience for every customer. For this reason, we are deeply concerned and disturbed by the incident that took place on December 5th. We use a variety of tools to prepare our food, but none should ever be found in any food item meant for customer consumption. We are fully cooperating with the NYPD during their investigation of this incident and will share any surveillance camera footage that is available with them. In addition, we will be conducting our own internal investigation and review of our employees and food preparation processes. Food safety, for everyone who enters our business, is our ultimate priority. In over 10 years of management in this location, we have never had an incident like this and look forward to providing the highest quality service to all of our customers in the future. We will not be commenting any further at this time until the conclusion of the investigation."

In the 10 years the store has been in business, the owner says they have never had an incident like this.

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