TEMPE, Arizona (KETK) – An Arizona Starbucks is in hot water after six police officers were asked to leave the store on the Fourth of July because a customer complained.
The customer apparently said that the officers’ presence made him feel unsafe.
Backlash was almost immediate on social media when news broke with hashtags including: #DumpStarbucks and #BoycottStarbucks.
In a statement, Starbucks called the move “completely unacceptable” and has sent executives to apologize face-to-face.
After the department’s association tweeted their outrage, they clarified in an interview on FOX News saying they are not backing a boycott and they do not want the employee fired.
In January, a Tempe police officer shot and killed a 14-year-old boy suspected in a burglary. The officer resigned and the shooting is being investigated.
This is not the first controversial moment for Starbucks in recent months.
In 2018, two black men were arrested in Philadelphia at a Starbucks after a white employee called police on them. It was found they were merely waiting for a business meeting.
