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, “There 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.”

The Journal-World had requested a copy of the investigation’s 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 “human hairs, animal hairs, feather fragments and a variety of other fibers,” according to “independent lab testing.”

No one at the McDonald’s store at 901 W. 23rd St. :quot; including drive-through cashier Jason Hawkins :quot; is suspected of “maliciously or intentionally” tampering with Officer Terry Haak’s food, police determined.

The letter concluded: “The 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.”

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

“It’s obvious that nothing’s going to be done about it,” 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.

¢ Chief stands by officer as food incident investigated (06-26-2002)¢ Letter from police

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. She’d 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 didn’t handle food and couldn’t communicate with those who did without his manager knowing. He said he knew nothing about Haak’s order being tampered with.

McDonald’s franchisee Marilyn Dobski said she was satisfied with the findings.

“They said there was no malicious intent, and I concur with that. Beyond that, I’m not sure how it happened,” Dobski said. “But as far as we’re concerned, this is over.”

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.

“What I find troublesome is that no wrongdoing is admitted,” Kurtenbach said. “I mean if nobody at McDonald’s planted the foreign matter on the officer’s chicken strips, then how is it appropriate that they questioned somebody for three hours? It isn’t :quot; their investigation proves that. But they don’t take the next step; they don’t say, ‘We made a mistake, we exceeded our authority.'”