Lawrence Police Chief Ron Olin is not offering a public critique of his officers’ conduct in the investigation of a food-tampering incident alleged by an on-duty Lawrence Police officer.

But he said the investigation was continuing, including laboratory testing of the food.

Last week, Jason Hawkins, a 17-year-old cashier at McDonald’s, 901 W. 23rd St., was taken to police headquarters and interrogated after Officer Terry Haak found what looked to him like lint on his order of chicken strips.

Hawkins’ mother, Ann Hawkins, told the Journal-World that Jason was questioned by police for more than three hours. Afterward, Ann Hawkins said, officers told her no charges would be brought against Jason.

Olin said his understanding was the interview took less than two hours. He wouldn’t say whether that was an appropriate amount of time for questioning in such a case.

“It’s not really my call,” Olin said. “Apparently the investigators thought it was.”

Olin said he did not know whether Haak approached McDonald’s management about the incident before having the cashier hauled away. Haak did not, however, take part in questioning Jason Hawkins at police headquarters, Olin said; the interview was conducted by two other patrol officers.

There is no standard operating procedure for Lawrence Police in determining when to take a suspect or witness to police headquarters for questioning, Olin said. Rather, it is left to investigating officers.

If there is an adequate place to conduct the interview at the scene of the investigation, then it can be done on-site, Olin said.

“The amount of time required and the procedure just depends on the investigation and the circumstances,” he said. “Each one is different.”

Investigation into the case continues, Olin said. Other people are being questioned, but Olin declined to identify them.

The conduct of police in the case has not been without criticism.

“It appears the police in Lawrence have way too much time on their hands  that’s the charitable way to look at this,” said Dick Kurtenbach, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri office in Kansas City, Mo.

Lawrence City Manager Mike Wildgen said he asked Olin to provide him with a report on the incident and investigation. Otherwise, Wildgen said he didn’t have enough information to say much about the case.

“I don’t know if it was coincidental that it happened to a police officer or not,” Wildgen said.

The substance said to have been found on Haak’s chicken, described by police as “fibrous,” is being examined by the Kansas City, Mo., Police crime lab. Olin said he didn’t know when the results would be available.

The last food-tampering case investigated by Lawrence Police occurred in late May at another fast-food restaurant. A customer called police after finding blood on his food. Officers determined immediately that a food preparation worker had accidentally cut a finger. No arrests were made.