Employees’ Refusal to Cop Angers Shoppers

A Pascagoula police officer dressed in uniform was allegedly denied service at a Piggly Wiggly. The story has gone viral, traveling beyond Moss Point city limits where the alleged incident took place.
As an internal investigation by Piggly Wiggly is underway, News 25’s Gina Tomlinson checked in with shoppers at some nearby South Mississippi grocery stores to get them to weigh in on the situation.
Customers are unloading after hearing deli workers refused service to a police officer at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Moss Point. Just ask Don Johnson who was at Jerry Lee’s Tuesday, but says he often shops at the Moss Point Piggly Wiggly. “They can’t get away with that stuff. This is a free country and you serve people that come in the store.”
It all stems from a Facebook post by Hannah Mae saying her fiancé, Scott Clayton, a Pascagoula police officer, was still in his uniform and stopped at the Piggly Wiggly to buy some meat. The workers allegedly turned their backs on him and told him they would not serve him. Pascagoula policeman Lieutenant Doug Adams reviewed the Piggly Wiggly surveillance video with the store’s manager. “It appears it was just because he was in uniform, but no customer should be treated that way whether it’s our officer or somebody that works at the shipyard or where ever,” said Lt. Adams.
Other shoppers News 25 spoke with agreed. Moss Point resident Traci McNeil said, “Regardless of him being a police officer, he’s still a person and I believe all people need respect whether in uniform or not.”
Lt. Adams says Pascagoula police go to the Piggly Wiggly in Moss Point all the time. “This is not by any means a regular incident.”
Lt. Adams says the incident was an isolated incident and that he still plans on shopping at Piggly Wiggly. “Folks should not stop doing business because one or two employees. You can’t hold something against the corporation for something one or two employees did.”
News 25 reached out to the store’s district manager who confirms an investigation is underway, but he refused to comment on the status of the two employees. A friend of one of the workers who was involved in the situation tells News 25 the employee isn’t allowed to return to work this week.
“I don’t think that will stop us from shopping there, but I just feel like all people deserve respect. It doesn’t matter what nation, nationality, color, they all deserve respect,” said McNeil.