An American police officer has resigned after it emerged he was the culprit in his own complaint.
The unnamed Kansas City law enforcement member had visited a local McDonald's outlet, where it was alleged a staff member wrote a derogatory remark on his coffee cup.
The officer's police chief, Brian Hornaday, posted a photo of the cup, which read "f***ing pig", as well as a statement criticising the restaurant chain.
"One of my officers decided to grab a coffee at the McDonalds located at 1127 South Washington in Junction City this morning on his way to work," wrote Hornaday.
"This is what he paid for. Although I understand this is likely the act of one person and not a representation of the company, when it was brought to their attention the company offered him a 'free lunch'.
"No thank you. A Big Mac and large fries doesn't make up for it. The US veteran who continues to serve deserves much more."
Following the complaint, management at the Junction City McDonald's reviewed security camera footage and found no evidence that an employee had written a comment on the police officer's coffee cup.
Owner Dana Cook said they took the complaint very seriously.
"My McDonald’s have the utmost respect for all members of law enforcement and the military and were troubled by the accusation made," said Cook.
"We thoroughly reviewed our security video from every angle, which clearly shows the words were not written by one of our employees.
"We look forward to working with Chief Hornaday as he continues his investigation."
On Wednesday (NZT), Hornaday told local reporters that the officer had since admitted he wrote the comment himself as a "joke."
The officer in question, who had only been in the role for two months, resigned on Tuesday (NZT).
"I hope he understands the magnitude of the black eye this gives the law enforcement profession from coast to coast," Hornaday told local reporters.
As the matter has now been made public, the officer's name will not be revealed.
