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Two black men were arrested last week in a Philadelphia Starbucks for what many are calling racial profiling after a viral video showing the pair being escorted out by police officers can be difficult to explain considering the billion dollar coffee giant has been know to be a worldwide hangout/meet up spot for many!
According to CNN.com, Melissa DePino, who posted the video, wrote, “The police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing.”
In the video a man is seen telling an officer that he was meeting the two men there and asking what they did to warrant police being called.
Customers in the background can be heard saying, “They didn’t do anything.”
Philadelphia Police Commissioner, Richard Ross said in a Facebook Live statement Saturday his officers “did absolutely nothing wrong.” Ross, who is black, continued to explains that Starbucks employees called 911 to report a trespassing complaint.
The employees told officers the two men wanted to use the restroom but were told the facilities are only for paying customers. The Starbucks employees then asked the men to leave, but they refused, Ross says.
Officers responded and asked the men three times to “politely to leave the location because they were being asked to leave by employees because they were trespassing.” When the men again refused to leave, they were arrested “without incident,” Ross says.
The men were taken to a police station and released when it became clear Starbucks didn’t want to press charges.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson issued the following statement in regards to the situation:
What are your thoughts?? Will you continue to support Starbucks??
Source: CNN.com
