MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune says the police officer who asked the homeless man to leave a McDonald’s restaurant handled herself “in the most professional manner.”
Mayor Bethune says in her video response, which was posted to the city’s Facebook page Thursday afternoon, that she watched the officer’s body camera video and based on that footage, the community does not know the entire story.
“Yesterday there was a video that went viral on Facebook about an incident that happened with a homeless gentleman, a local business and one of our police officers,” says Mayor Bethune. “What you will not see on that video is the whole story.”
Mayor Bethune goes on to say that the police officer “handled herself in the most professional manner and treated this gentleman with dignity and respect.” The mayor notes that the police officers work closely with the homeless community and encourages the community to come together and do the same.
“I believe in our police department. I know how closely they work with our homeless community,” states Mayor Bethune. “Let’s reach out and do everything we can possibly do to help our homeless community and be in support of our police department.”
Mayor Bethune does not comment on the man who filmed the incident or the McDonald’s employee who asked for the man to be removed from the restaurant.