Despite the fact that police officers often risk their lives for the safety of their communities, negative perceptions of their work persist.

Police Constable Andre Owen recently shared an incident from his day that unexpectedly caught widespread attention.

During a demanding 12-hour shift, Owen stopped at a Burger King to grab lunch after working for eight hours without eating or taking a break. As he placed his order, a female customer shot him a disapproving glance and made a comment about him eating while still in uniform.

He didn’t anticipate such a reaction but chose not to respond in the moment. After returning home, Officer Owen felt compelled to share the incident on Twitter to shed light on the challenges he faced that day before even having a chance to eat.

“To the lady who criticized me for eating while on duty,” Officer Owen began his post. “I’ve been working non-stop since 07:05 this morning, with no time even for a bathroom break. I’m more than 100 miles from my station and still have 45 minutes left on my shift…followed by a two-hour drive home! #policearehumanstoo,” he wrote, including a photo of his meal.

The post quickly went viral, and the 25-year-old officer, who has been with Sussex Police for five years, received a flood of supportive messages.

The UK Mirror reached out to Officer Owen for further details. He explained that it was around 2 pm when he was nearing the end of his shift, which was set to finish at 3 pm. Despite this, he still faced a hundred-mile drive back to the station, where he would need to complete paperwork before heading home.

“Just five minutes into my shift, I was called to a serious incident in Brighton,” Owen told The Mirror. “After handling that, I drove non-stop to Oxford as part of the same assignment, working alone. About half an hour into the return trip, I finally stopped at a service station for my first bathroom break of the day. While I was there, I grabbed a Double Whopper meal, an apple pie, a Coke, and a cappuccino.”

It was at that moment that the unknown woman made an assumption about his work ethic, seeing him eat while on duty.

He remembered her exact words: “While you’re in here stuffing your face, there are criminals out there who need catching.” Despite the comment, he simply smiled and chose not to respond.

He clarified that his tweet wasn’t meant to seek sympathy but to shed light on the demanding nature of police work. He wanted people to understand that the daily responsibilities of officers are far from easy.

On his way to the station, he came across a broken-down car and stopped to ensure the family inside received the assistance they needed. He finally completed his shift at 7 pm.

“Although the long hours and the woman’s comment were frustrating, I love my job and wouldn’t change it for the world,” PC Andre Owen said.

We are deeply grateful to our police officers for their dedication and hard work. Without their commitment, our communities wouldn’t be the safe places they are today.

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