He took the meal back to the sheriff's department and began to eat it.

What he discovered was so shocking, revolting and possibly unhealthy, that it has prompted the chief deputy to speculate that his officers will never again buy food in a fast food restaurant.

"He opened up the wrapper and found a hair sticking out of the sandwich," said Chief Deputy Kevin Cecil. "When he opened the sandwich up, there was a ball of hair inside the sandwich."

"You know, we see kids hurt, we see bodies, we see a lot of gore," Cecil continued. "I won't say you become used to it, but you do become accustomed to it. But this really tugs at you. We know they targeted the police. It's disgusting. It's unbelievable."

Ronda Francis, administrator of the Marshall County Health Department, says an investigation is underway.

"Well, it's unusual," she said. "But in the past, we've had cases where there's been a hair or some foreign unsuspected material."

Chief Cecil says two male restaurant employees--ages 20 and 32--have confessed, saying that one of them suggested it when they saw the deputy in the drive-through, and the other pulled his own hairs out by the roots to add to the sandwich.

The chief says this will forever change the way his department looks at food safety, and food handlers.

Authorities say the two suspects could either be charged with misdemeanor food tampering--which would carry a one-year sentence, or felony food poisoning, punishable by three to 18 years.

An investigation is underway with the health department, prosecutor and restaurant management.

Health Department officials say every food handler in Marshall County must complete a class in order to get a food handler's card, and they say these two suspects do not have a card.

Ben Thompson, a regional representative with the Wendy's Corporation, said, "We are conducting our own investigation and are cooperating with police and will support full prosecution of the two employees, if that's what is determined."

"Wendy's has always supported local police departments and they will continue to do so," Thompson concluded.