Starbucks has issued an apology after two uniformed law enforcement officials were denied service in Riverside, California.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced that two of their deputies were refused service on Thursday, the police department tweeted. Sheriff Chad Bianco tweeted Friday night that the “anti police culture repeatedly displayed by Starbucks employees must end.”
“There is simply no excuse for how two Riverside deputies were ignored,” Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges said, according to ABC7. “We are deeply sorry and reached out to apologize directly to them.”
The incident is the latest in a string of controversial events regarding Starbucks employees’ behavior towards law enforcement officers. Last month, a Starbucks employee in Oklahoma was fired after writing “PIG” as the name on the cup’s label. Starbucks apologized for the incident at the time.
“We are deeply sorry to the law enforcement officer who experienced this. We have also apologized directly to him and we are working to connect with the police chief as well as to express our remorse,” Starbucks spokesman Jory Mendes said. “This language is offensive to all law enforcement and is not representative of the deep appreciation we have for police officers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”
Kiefer police chief Johnny O’Mara urged the coffee chain to rehire the employee who was terminated.
