Black Coffee Removed From Star Bucks.
Vanilla stays on the menu.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking the law.
Comply Then Complain.
A Starbucks coffee shop in the City of Brotherly Love wasn’t feeling brotherly towards two African-American men who needed a place to chill for a spell.
The men were taken out of the store in handcuffs, after the manager of the store called to complain and asked for their removal.
According to reports, the couple was informed by employees of the store they had to purchase something to continue occupying chairs that other potential paying customers could use.
They refused to make a purchase or leave the premises and as a consequence was arrested and held for nine hours then released sans charges.
Starbucks Coffee shops are private property, and the store’s custodian(s) have the right to have squatters removed by PD after warning them of their trespassing status.
Starbucks is known the world-over as a place where people gather for meetings or just to hang out. The Starbucks brand caters to clients who for the most part have a couple of dimes to rub together or college students.
Trespassing as it relates to real estate law means entering onto land without the consent of the landowner. Customers/potential customers must exit premises once the rightful owner or his/her representative asks them to leave.
In cases where the “customer” believe they have been unjustly singled out for removal, they should comply with the requests then complain to higher-ups.
The officers who removed the men and Philadelphia Police Department have come under heavy criticism after a patron in the store captured the incident on her cellphone camera and posted it online.
Philly Police Commissioner Richard Ross states: These men (referring to his officers) did absolutely nothing wrong, as an African-American man, I am very aware of implicit bias. We are committed to fair and unbiased policing.
An African-American police officer on scene at the time of the arrest also came under and labeled an “Uncle Tom” for not intervening in the arrest. SERIOUSLY.
The Mayor of Philadelphia (who is white) Jim Kenny says, “It’s unfortunate and disappointing that this kind of thing still happens in 2018.”
While the store manager may have been hasty and acted with bias, the fact is once police are called to remove some from private property, they are compelled by law to do so after warning the person to leave.
This situation may be a case where the entire debacle was planned to get a lawsuit and easy settlement.
Starbucks Chief Executive Kevin Johnson apologized for the arrests of two black men — on Saturday.
Follow the money as always.
Staff Writer: Clinton Franklin
