Michael Palladino, president of police labor union Detectives’ Endowment Association in New York, announced Thursday that he ordered New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and their families to boycott the coffee chain Dunkin' Donuts until the franchise apologizes for a controversial incident that allegedly took place Sunday in Brooklyn.

The New York Post first reported the incident, saying law enforcement sources told them a clerk at the store allegedly refused to serve two plainclothes patrol officers. The two plainclothes NYPD officers with visible badges on their shirts claimed they were denied service, as an employee told them "I don’t serve cops," the New York Post reported.

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According to the Post, the two detectives were trying to purchase ice cream. As they waited in line, the employee took the order of a man standing behind them in line instead of asking them first. When the customer told the employee the two detectives were ahead in line, the clerk allegedly replied, "Yeah, I know, but I don’t serve cops."

A manager at the store, who did not wish to identify himself, told Gothamist it was all a misunderstanding.

He relayed the incident saying: "These two men in shirts and ties — who I later found out were police — must have never come to this Dunkin' Donuts before, because instead of waiting in the line where you order, they waited at the counter where you pick up your order."

"You can see on the security tape: they stand here for five minutes, while other customers were being served. One customer even ordered ice cream, and they must’ve not like that because they left the store," he added. However, he did not let the Post or other outlets see the video. The store got several calls after the incident asking why they did not serve the officers.

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Palladino told the Post the discrimination was "disgraceful and it should not go unattended." Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD commissioner James O’Neill also criticized the Dunkin' Donuts employee over the incident. De Blasio said the alleged behavior of the clerk was "illegal" and "unacceptable."

"I don't know the details and I wasn't there, but if it's what you describe, it's someone being stupid and unfair to our police officers," said De Blasio.

"Someone at Dunkin' Donuts behind the counter can't refuse service to anyone. That's illegal, to begin with. So, that's unacceptable to me that anyone would do that. But I think the atmosphere in this city has been one of growing respect to police and the community," De Blasio added.

Dunkin' Donuts issued a statement on Twitter saying the franchise owner had personally apologized to the officers after the incident.

"Our franchisees are committed to serving each and every guest with respect and courtesy," the statement said, while the chain did not admit any guilt.

"The franchisee of the Brooklyn restaurant is meeting with the police officer he spoke to earlier this week in person to hopefully bring this to a satisfactory conclusion for all involved."

Palladino ended the ban after the company's response.

"I respect the response from headquarters and I think they can use this as a learning process I think from what happened here they should start ordering their franchise to start giving their employees a little sensitivity training and maybe check their politics at the door before they punch into work," Palladino said. "After all, police officers, they don’t want special treatment. They would like equal treatment.”

Dunkin' Donuts, a Massachusetts-based company with roughly 11,000 locations, has been the subject of controversy in the past. In February 2016, a class action lawsuit was filed in New York and New Jersey contending that Dunkin' Donuts overcharged customers by collecting sales tax on items that should have been exempt from tax.

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