Homeless man
A homeless man sits on a bench near a store with Oscars statues for advertising ahead of the 90th annual Academy Awards week, in Hollywood, California, on March 1, 2018. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images

A Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, McDonald's found itself in national disapproval after a viral video that garnered over 40,000 views in less than 24 hours showed the establishment kicking out a Good Samaritan and a homeless man he was trying to buy food for Wednesday.

The video posted on Facebook and filmed by Good Samaritan Yossi Gallo, showed a Myrtle Beach police officer telling the homeless man eating his meal, he should leave and never return.

A shocked and frustrated Gallo is heard saying, “You guys suck... He didn't ask me for food, I saw him across the street and brought him over here for food," and is promptly told he is being disorderly.

The unidentified police officer then claims the homeless man was asking other customers for money; a claim refuted by Gallo as the homeless man looks at him seemingly innocent.

Gallo and the homeless man are then asked to leave the establishment.

"I’m getting kicked out of here because I gave a homeless guy food,” Gallo exclaims.

He then asks for a refund to which he is handed a paper bag to take his food away.

The police officer then presses Gallo to leave the premises, even as he tries to explain he needs a refund. The police officer tells Gallo she cannot make the establishment give him a refund, saying: “I’m not here to argue with you. I am the law, you need to get your stuff and leave. That is all.”

In a statement, Myrtle Beach Police said:

“Officers were dispatched to the location after receiving a call, from an employee of the business, that a male was in the parking lot asking people for money. Upon arriving at the restaurant, an employee approached the officer and indicated the male was inside the establishment. The employee requested the officer issue a trespassing warning and asked that the person leave the premises. The officer advised the male of the request made by the business and issued the warning. A bystander, who was videotaping the incident was also trespassed from the location, at the request of the manager, for what management deemed as disorderly behavior.”

Brenda Bethune, the city’s mayor, stood by the police department, and told the Myrtle Beach Sun Times:

“I think it’s very sad that it’s come to this. It does hurt Myrtle Beach, it hurts the image of our police department, which I feel they do an incredible job and I know they work as hard as they can in situation like this to be human and to treat people just with a lot of respect and dignity."