Iredell Deputy In Uniform Denied Entry To Jewelry Store

IREDELL COUNTY, NC — An Iredell County Sheriff’s deputy in uniform seeking to pick up an engagement ring from a Statesville jewelry store while on his lunch break was denied entry into the business because he was carrying his service weapon, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday.

“The deputy took his meal break to pick up the ring, and was met at the door by the store manager, who informed him he was not allowed to wear his service weapon while on their premises,” Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. “The deputy informed the manager he was in uniform and his marked patrol car was in the parking lot, and it would be a violation of policy for him to remove his service weapon while in uniform.”

The manager of the Kay Jewelers store located at 187 Turnersburg Hwy in Statesville told the deputy he would need to return to the store when he was not armed, ICSO said. “The deputy left the store, without the ring he had purchased.”

The incident the deputy encountered was “very difficult for us to comprehend,” the sheriff’s office said.

At the time of the post, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said he had attempted to contact the corporate office of Kay Jewelers but had not yet received an answer.

The store took to its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon, saying it had reached out to both the deputy and the sheriff’s office “to sincerely apologize for the mishandling of this matter.”

“We have tremendous respect for law enforcement,” the store said. “We will be sure to reinforce store training regarding our firearm policy with specific regard to uniformed law enforcement.”