Starbucks Apologizing After Six Officers Were Asked to Leave Arizona Store

Tempe, AZ (CNN) — Starbucks is issuing another public apology more than a year after officer arrested two black men in a Philadelphia store.

This time though, the coffee giant is apologizing to officers with the Tempe Police Department in Arizona.

In a statement Friday, the Tempe Officers Association said six officers walked into a Starbucks to enjoy some coffee on July Fourth. The group was approached by a barista who told officers that a customer “did not feel safe” because of their presence.

“The barista asked the officers to move out of the customer’s line of sight or to leave,” the association said. The officers ultimately left the store “disappointed.”

“This treatment of public safety workers could not be more disheartening. While the barista was polite, making such a request at all was offensive,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, such treatment has become all too common in 2019.”

Hours before releasing that statement, the association released an altered Starbucks graphic with a hand pouring coffee reading “Dump Starbucks.” The graphic also led to the hashtag #DumpStarbucks on social media.

To read the full CNN News article, click here.