Police say a Starbucks employee in New Jersey spit in an officer’s drink.
Kevin Trejo, 21, was arrested and charged with subjecting a law enforcement officer to bodily fluid, purposely tampering with a law enforcement officer’s drink, and creating a hazardous environment, according to NorthJersey.com.
“Under the current COVID threat, it is extremely disturbing to think that someone would intentionally spit in your drink,” Park Ridge Police Capt. Joseph Rampolla said about the alleged crime.
Police believe the incident was an isolated one, and Trejo has been fired by Starbucks.
“We will continue to support Park Ridge Police in their investigation and have a deep respect for the Park Ridge Police Department and the officers who help keep our partners and communities safe,” a spokesperson for the coffee giant said.
“Officers risk their lives daily, it shouldn’t be while getting coffee,” President of the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association Patrick Colligan said in a statement.
The incident in New Jersey is not the first example of police officers being targeted in dining establishments in recent weeks. The news comes as the relationship between many communities and their local police departments have become strained following the death of George Floyd on May 25.
In June, a Washington state restaurant apologized after a police officer found a derogatory note written on a receipt. Several employees of a Five Guys fast-food restaurant were fired or suspended in Alabama this month for refusing to serve police officers.
Police officers have also been targeted with violence, including an arrest made just yesterday of a man accused of attacking a police officer during a traffic stop.
