I think I witnessed a police shakedown last night (but I didn't)

I think I witnessed a police shakedown last night. Everyone here knows I live in suburban Boston , but I'll leave the exact details out. I don't feel like getting harassed if the 5-0 figures out where I live.

I was out eating dinner with a friend of mine. Near the end of our meal a young kid walks in, puts in a take-out order and asks for a beer. The waiter takes the order and gives him the beer. The kid sits down holding the beer. I realize later that he never took a sip of it.

About ten seconds later two men who were apparently plainclothes police officers enter the restaurant. One approaches the waiter, one approaches the kid and asks him if he's 21. The kid says he's 20 and the officer says "you're under arrest" and is escorted out of the restaurant.

This conversation was more stilted and poorly done than an acting scene in a porn flick. It was painfully obvious this kid wasn't under arrest and was, in fact, in on the entire thing.

The other cop comes back into the restaurant and asks his partner if the person he is talking to served the kid the beer. He is and other cop says "he's under arrest too" and walks out never to set foot in the restaurant again.

First cop then pulls the waiter aside and begins talking to him. As we left the restaurant first cop was leaving (without the waiter.)

My friend is going to call the restaurant today to see what happened. I think the first cop told the waiter that for a payment, they would give him a warning and not arrest him.

This was an ethnic restaurant, and the waiter spoke good English but far from perfect.

My friend and were looking at each other the whole time thinking, "this just isn't right."

I'll follow up if we find out anything new.

*followup: They were fined, no cash was demanded or exchanged. The the whole thing was still very shady but apparantly legit. It would seem that the local police have little else to do then bust on restaurants. The rising murder rates in Boston would not seem to be a concern...