Tattoo Shop's Message to Both Bikers and Cops Sparks Anger: 'Police Will Not Be Served

A tattoo shop on Norman, Oklahoma, has sparked a strong reaction after posting a message to Facebook offering a discount to bikers wearing motorcycle club patches, while simultaneously announcing a refusal to serve police officers.

"UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, patch holders riding motorcycles and wearing their MC patch receive a 25 percent discount on all tattoos at Norman Tattoo," read Norman Tattoo's May 22 Facebook post. "Police will not be served. Thanks!"

A subsequent message said that recent events have led the tattoo shop to make the "unfortunate decision," presumably referring to a recent rival gang shootout that left nine people dead, at least 18 injured and led to the arrest of 173 bikers.

"Recent events in Waco, TX led us to the unfortunate decision that we simply can't risk having that kind of thing in our shop," the message read. "This is a family business."

After a Facebook user named Brady Quisenberry pushed back against this sentiment, noting that Norman Tattoo might be risking its business with the controversial stance — and claimed that he believes the tattoo shop has the situation all wrong — Norman Tattoo responded by sharing a photo of a sign that apparently also appears on the front door of the shop.

Touting a similar message about cops as was posted on Facebook, it reads: "In light of recent events in Waco, TX and other places, people wearing the insignia/patches of police departments are not welcome on these premises."

The owner of the Norman Tattoo shop — identified as Frank Robinson by the Norman Transcript — declined to appear in a TV interview with KWTV-TV, though he reportedly said that he believed the recent deadly clash between Texas motorcycle gangs was the result of police brutality and that he no longer feels safe around cops.

"The fact that the police are admittedly in possession of video of the entire event, yet have not released it, is more than a little frightening," Robinson told the Norman Transcript. "They seem to bring chaos and intimidation everywhere they go."

Image via Facebook/Norman Tattoo

He continued, "Had I said I was unwilling to serve gays in my business, I’d probably have the full support of the community, but instead, I said police are not welcome, and I’ve spent all day being threatened and insulted by people hiding behind telephone calls and Facebook messages."

(H/T: KWTV-TV)