A Lawrence police officer did nothing wrong when he took a 17-year-old fast-food cashier downtown for more than three hours of questioning after the officer found something that looked like lint on an order of chicken strips, according to an internal investigation conducted by the Lawrence Police Department.

In a three-paragraph letter to the Journal-World this week, Police Chief Ron Olin wrote, âÂÂThere were no violations of law, policies, or nation-wide police procedures as to the contact with the (cashier) or any of the others interviewed in reference to this incident.âÂÂ

The Journal-World had requested a copy of the investigationâÂÂs findings.

The incident occurred June 21. It took months for the police to respond to the Journal-World request for information about the departmental investigation. When the department did respond, it was a one-page letter from Olin. Police refused to be interviewed about the incident or investigation and did not respond to calls seeking response to follow-up questions.

The lint-like substance, Olin wrote, consisted of âÂÂhuman hairs, animal hairs, feather fragments and a variety of other fibers,â according to âÂÂindependent lab testing.âÂÂ

No one at the McDonaldâÂÂs store at 901 W. 23rd St. âÂÂ:quot; including drive-through cashier Jason Hawkins âÂÂ:quot; is suspected of âÂÂmaliciously or intentionallyâ tampering with Officer Terry HaakâÂÂs food, police determined.

The letter concluded: âÂÂThe Lawrence Police Department continues to operate and conduct investigations with the utmost professionalism. At times, the perception of police performance is not seen clearly by those involved or reportedly accurately by observers.âÂÂ

Contacted by the Journal-World, Hawkinsâ mother, Ann Hawkins, said she was disappointed in the findings but would let the matter drop.

âÂÂItâÂÂs obvious that nothingâÂÂs going to be done about it,â she said, declining further comment.

Earlier, Ann Hawkins said she was upset with police for not allowing her son to let her know he was being interrogated and for expecting him to submit a detailed written statement.

Her son, she said, has a learning disability that makes such tasks difficult.

Ann Hawkins waited in the lobby at police headquarters for two hours before her son was released. SheâÂÂd learned her son had been taken downtown only when his supervisor called to let her know what had happened. She was not notified by police.

Under Kansas law, police may interrogate individuals ages 14 years or older without notifying their parents.

Authority exceeded?

Throughout his interrogation, Jason Hawkins said he told the two officers questioning him that as cashier, he didnâÂÂt handle food and couldnâÂÂt communicate with those who did without his manager knowing. He said he knew nothing about HaakâÂÂs order being tampered with.

McDonaldâÂÂs franchisee Marilyn Dobski said she was satisfied with the findings.

âÂÂThey said there was no malicious intent, and I concur with that. Beyond that, IâÂÂm not sure how it happened,â Dobski said. âÂÂBut as far as weâÂÂre concerned, this is over.âÂÂ

The investigation did little to satisfy Dick Kurtenbach, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri office in Kansas City, Mo.

âÂÂWhat I find troublesome is that no wrongdoing is admitted,â Kurtenbach said. âÂÂI mean if nobody at McDonaldâÂÂs planted the foreign matter on the officerâÂÂs chicken strips, then how is it appropriate that they questioned somebody for three hours? It isnâÂÂt âÂÂ:quot; their investigation proves that. But they donâÂÂt take the next step; they donâÂÂt say, âÂÂ’We made a mistake, we exceeded our authority.âÂÂâÂÂ