Chipotle issued a statement apologising to the NYPD this week after one of their employees offended a group of officers.

Nine police officers walked out of the Montague Street location in Brooklyn after the fast food worker raised his hands in a "Hands up, don't shoot" gesture.

The incident happened on December 16 and involved police from the 8-4 precinct. Reportedly, the officers were approaching the counter to order food, when the employee raised his hands. The gesture has become a national protest stance following the killing of unarmed black teen Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson.

The NYPD officers took offense to the gesture, and exited the restaurant. The incident was reported on Facebook, and some called for boycotts of the downtown Brooklyn location.

"It's disgusting how people don't respect cops anymore," Jackie Cortes, a retired NYPD lieutenant, told PIX 11.

Chipotle apologised to the officers in a statement issued on Monday.

"We work very hard to ensure that every customer in our restaurants feels welcome and is treated with respect," the company wrote. "Clearly, the actions of this crew member undermined that effort.

"We have conducted a review of the incident including interviews with the crew and a review of video footage from security cameras. Our investigation has shown that this appears to have been a spontaneous, unplanned action taken by an individual crew member and was not a coordinated effort by the staff of the restaurant.

"In no way was the behavior of this crew member consistent with our culture and our values as a company. We have taken appropriate actions with regard to the crew member involved, but we are not at liberty to discuss the specific actions taken."

The company declined to name the employee at the centre of the controversy.