Police Officers In Arizona Say They Were Asked To Leave Starbucks After Customer Complaint

A group of police officers in Tempe, Arizona said they were asked to leave a Starbucks by a barista following a customer complaint on Thursday. As reports about the incident went viral, the hashtag #dumpstarbucks started trending and Starbucks issued an a

Sunday, July 7th 2019, 6:58 pm

By: News 9


A group of police officers in Tempe, Arizona said they were asked to leave a Starbucks by a barista following a customer complaint on Thursday. As reports about the incident went viral, the hashtag #dumpstarbucks started trending and Starbucks issued an apology.

 

The Tempe Officers Association wrote on Twitter that the six officers "stopped by the Starbucks at Scottsdale Road and McKellips for coffee" before their shift on July 4. The police officers said they ordered drinks and were told by a barista that a customer "did not feel safe" with their presence in the store. They said they were told to "move out of the customer's line of sight or to leave." 

After reaching out to Starbucks, the Tempe Police Department was told the incident was "not in line with Starbucks values" and that the company "will continue to work in strengthening their relationship with law enforcement."

In a statement released on Twitter, the Tempe police department said they hoped the incident at Starbucks will be an "isolated incident between one community member and a single employee rather than an entire organization."

Starbucks in response issued a statement to CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO saying they are trying to "better understand what took place and apologize for any misunderstandings or inappropriate behavior that may have taken place."  

Rossann Williams, Starbucks executive vice president and president of U.S. Retail released a new statement on the Starbucks website referencing to the incident. In the statement, Williams offered an apology to Moir and the officers. 

"On behalf of Starbucks, I want to sincerely apologize to you all for the experience that six of your officers had in our store on July 4," Williams said. The executive president also said she "will be in Tempe this evening and welcome the opportunity to meet with any of you in person to address concerns or questions."

On Sunday, the Tempe Officers Association said it was "encouraged that Starbucks has reached out to our organization and to the Tempe Police Department to apologize and to further express their support for law enforcement. We hope that out of this unfortunate moment there comes a welcome dialogue, one that more closely unites the men and women on the frontlines of police work with the communities we serve and protect."

 
undefined

After reaching out to Starbucks, the Tempe Police Department was told the incident was \"not in line with Starbucks values\" and that the company \"will continue to work in strengthening their relationship with law enforcement.\"

In a statement released on Twitter, the Tempe police department said they hoped the incident at Starbucks will be an \"isolated incident between one community member and a single employee rather than an entire organization.\"

Starbucks in response issued a statement to CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO saying they are trying to \"better understand what took place and apologize for any misunderstandings or inappropriate behavior that may have taken place.\"  

Rossann Williams, Starbucks executive vice president and president of U.S. Retail released a new statement on the Starbucks website referencing to the incident. In the statement, Williams offered an apology to Moir and the officers. 

\"On behalf of Starbucks, I want to sincerely apologize to you all for the experience that six of your officers had in our store on July 4,\" Williams said. The executive president also said she \"will be in Tempe this evening and welcome the opportunity to meet with any of you in person to address concerns or questions.\"

On Sunday, the Tempe Officers Association said it was \"encouraged that Starbucks has reached out to our organization and to the Tempe Police Department to apologize and to further express their support for law enforcement. We hope that out of this unfortunate moment there comes a welcome dialogue, one that more closely unites the men and women on the frontlines of police work with the communities we serve and protect.\"

First published on July 7, 2019 / 2:15 AM

© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 
 
 
","published":"2019-07-07T23:58:25.000Z","updated":"2019-07-08T00:08:39.000Z","summary":"A group of police officers in Tempe, Arizona said they were asked to leave a Starbucks by a barista following a customer complaint on Thursday. As reports about the incident went viral, the hashtag #dumpstarbucks started trending and Starbucks issued an a","affiliate":{"_id":"5cc353fe1c9d440000d3b70f","callSign":"kwtv","origin":"https://www.news9.com"},"contentClass":"news","createdAt":"2020-01-31T18:43:54.117Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-30T20:35:31.969Z","__v":2,"show":true,"link":"/story/5e34756a527dcf49dad71201/police-officers-in-arizona-say-they-were-asked-to-leave-starbucks-after-customer-complaint","hasSchedule":false,"id":"5e34756a527dcf49dad71201"};
logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

July 7th, 2019

March 22nd, 2024

March 14th, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024