Starbucks apologized after an employee reportedly asked six police officers to leave or change their location in one of the company’s shops in a Phoenix suburb because another customer reported feeling unsafe.
Starbucks said it has “deep respect for the Tempe Police Department” and was apologizing “for any misunderstanding or inappropriate behavior that may have taken place” during the July 4 encounter.
The Tempe Officers Association said the officers had just bought their drinks and were standing together before their shift started when a barista made the request for a customer.
Association President Rob Ferraro called it perplexing that someone would feel unsafe when officers are around.
“This treatment of public safety workers could not be more disheartening. While the barista was polite, making such a request at all was offensive. Unfortunately, such treatment has become all too common in 2019,” the association said in a tweet.
The Police Department said it hoped the incident was an isolated incident.
The incident has sparked heated debate on social media. Supporters of the police have launched a #boycottstarbucks campaign on Twitter.
But critics of the boycott effort said on Twitter that the campaign ignores racist police behavior and police brutality that have made some people feel unsafe around officers.
(AP)
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6 Responses
If this would have happened in Israel, where police brutality and cruelty, especially against Chareidim,has become a nealy daily occurence, I would have understood the Starbucks employe and customer very well
The world has gone berserk. I mean liberalized. I was surprised the police didn’t apologize.
Most everyday Americans would probably feel unsafe around the types of folks who feel unsafe around police.
These snowflakes who “don’t feel safe” around police drinking a mochachino need to get help. Yes, there are too many incidents of police violence directed at minorities, but much of that is simply the reality that everyone has a camera recording every incident so I’m not sure the actual rate of “racist” actions by the police is any higher than i was in the past and simply more are being reported. Yes their are some bad apples, but the vast percentage of police officers are dedicated public servants an risk their lives for us every day they get up and put a target (aka uniform and badge) on their backs.
Gadolhadorah,
Did someone hack your account?
Democrat