Cop Said Subway Drugged His Lemonade. Now a Lawsuit

Owners say false claims from police have ruined their business
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 15, 2017 6:29 PM CDT
Owners of Subway Accused of Spiking Cop's Drink Sue
Subway franchise owners Dallas Buttars, left, and Kristin Myers right, speak during a press conference at their attorney's office Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017, in Salt Lake City.   (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The owners of a Subway in Utah are suing for more than $250,000 after police claimed—falsely, it turns out—that a restaurant employee had drugged an officer's lemonade, the Washington Post reports. The arrest of an 18-year-old in Layton made international headlines last August after police accused him of spiking the officer's drink with meth and THC. The officer felt ill, and police said tests on the lemonade showed the presence of drugs. According to Consumerist, a police spokesperson went on the local news that night to discuss the "terrifying" situation. But in a lawsuit filed against the city of Layton last week, Subway franchisees Kristin Myers and Dallas Buttars say police knew the claims were false by the time the story aired and didn't publicly correct the record for months.

The lawsuit claims police were relying on an ion scanner, which is known for false positives, and that two urine tests hours before the story aired showed no drugs in the officer's system. The lawsuit claims surveillance footage and a search of the restaurant and employee's car also found no evidence of drugs or any tampering with the officer's drink. But that didn't stop police from going ahead with the story. What followed was what Myers calls "one of the worst years." She says business dropped 30%, six employees quit, and customers complained. "It's always going to be known as the store that drugged the cop," Myers tells Fox 13. Myers' former employee has already settled with the city of Layton for $50,000. (More Subway stories.)

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