Officers Pay Tab For 2 Customers Not Wanting To Sit Near Them At Pennsylvania Diner

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Tensions between some communities and police departments have been strained in the wake of last week's violence. But several officers in Pennsylvania managed to ease an awkward situation by reaching out.

On a typical night when four officers from Homestead and Whitaker dine at Eat N' Park, they are often greeted with handshakes and gratitude.

But Friday night, Homestead police Officer Chuck Thomas and his brothers in blue had an unusual experience.

"A table goes to sit down, and the guy looks over at one of the police officers and was like: 'Nah, I don't want to sit here,' " server Jesse Meyers recalled.

"And I said: 'It's OK, sir, you don't have to worry about it. We won't hurt you. And he looked at me hard again and said he's not sitting here and walked away," Thomas told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

The couple ended up dining on the other side of the restaurant.

After giving it some thought, Thomas decided to pay the couple's tab and wrote this message on the check: "Sir, your check was paid for by the police officers that you didn't want to sit next to. Thank you for your support."

Thomas also left the couple's server a 35 percent tip.

"Essentially, I was, the whole goal of it, was to let him know that we're not here to hurt you," Thomas explained. "We're not here for that. We're here for you. We work for the public, and we just want to better the relationship between the community and the police."

As one of the officers was leaving the diner, the couple looked over, shared a quick laugh and thanked him.