Men Arrested at Starbucks Break Their Silence on GMA

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast



The two black men who were arrested at a Starbucks in Philadelphia after being accused of trespassing have broken their silence, saying they hope their experience stops anything similar happening again. Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson told Good Morning America they were at Starbucks for a real estate meeting they'd been working on for months which they hoped would "change [their] lives." The men refused to say why they believe Starbucks staff called the police after they waited there for two minutes, but said they hope their experiences "motivate" young people. Nelson said: "This is something that has been going on for years and everyone's blind to it but they know what's going on." Robinson added: "I want to make sure this situation doesn't happen again." They said the police didn't read them their rights before they were handcuffed, and they didn't rule out taking legal action against Starbucks in the coming weeks.

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[tblue37]

1. K&R for visibility. nt

[lunamagica]

2. K&R.

[Ninga]

3. Yep. Nt

[salin]

4. I had missed the point that they had only been at Starbucks for a couple of minutes

before the 911 call was made.

[ChiTownDenny]

33. I had missed the point that the police

asked the men to leave the premises and they refused. Starbucks definitely has to do some explaining and mea culpas but, in this situation I don't find the police did anything wrong.

[salin]

35. Had they even asked a few questions before jumping to the arrest, they

probably would have learned that the men had only been there for a couple of minutes. Or had they first gotten clarification from the caller and asked how long they had been there, in the course of either of those types of conversations (had they had one), the person they were meeting would have arrived (instead of arriving when they were quickly handcuffed and marched out), and could have been cleared up.

I worked for years in an urban high school in a very rough neighborhood. It wasn't that rare for an incident to happen on or near school grounds that resulted in a visit from officers - who always started with questions to learn/understand the situation.

Would I pillory these officers for not doing so, of course not. However, I hope that the whole department use the situation and create similar scenarios and come up with alternative responses that can prevent this situation from ending up in arrests, when no offense has been committed.

Seriously 2 minutes does not equal loitering.

[ChiTownDenny]

37. No disagreements.

And frankly, I find it weird that I support the police in any interaction involving black people and a video. But EVERYONE needs to know that we live in a police state; if the police tell you to do something, you better do it or risk arrest...or worse.

[jrthin]

5. K&R nt

[Upthevibe]

6. I'm glad they're telling their story....

I'm a Caucasian woman who has spent countless hours in various Starbucks here in Southern California. I've spent entire weekends (only going home to sleep) there when I was in school writing papers and reading. I've used their restrooms sooooo many times. I've used them well before I was able to make it to the counter to order something. I'd just like to know what the Hell happened. And for people who don't think it's a big deal, it is! This wouldn't have happened to someone who's not of color (IMHO).

[Lucky Luciano]

7. Absolutely. I certainly abused their seats in the sun when I was a doctoral student at UCLA.

I always ordered a coffee, but I stayed for like 4 hours! I was never once harassed in any way. Four hours is definitely overstaying your welcome if you only buy one coffee!

[BobTheSubgenius]

26. 4 hours versus 2 minutes.

I'd venture to say your visits were a lot more positive than that of these two men. I suppose they might have moved you along, had your table and chair really been needed....but it's hard to believe that didn't happen, at least once.

[Lucky Luciano]

30. I cant recall a negative experience of being pushed away.

Sometimes it was busy and sometimes it wasn’t. There are a lot of “regulars” who did similar things. The stores probably also made a lot of money from people buying $5 lattes to go - the best kind of customer. It is almost as if the people sitting basking in the sun doing work or chatting were props to create a buzz that drew more people in. Maybe that is why I had no trouble.

I live in Manhattan now. I rarely do the same thing here, but I have done it a few times. Never any trouble.


Total white privilege.

[Maraya1969]

8. I hope they sue and get a large sum of money.

[KPN]

9. K&R!

[Kurt V.]

10. I'm confused

as to why the police chief says his officers were disrespected. he needs to answer for that.

[sdfernando]

11. Poor little snowflake officers!!

The were disrespected? GeezusChrist on a pogo stick...is that all he’s got?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. The men did not instantly lie on the floor spread eagled face down

/sarcasm for whoever needs it.

[ExciteBike66]

27. He claimed

that the two men said something about the cops having a low salary.

[salin]

36. He has now issued a mea culpa.

Took a week, and a National AM TV news appearance, to do so. Shameful.

[lapislzi]

39. Bullshit.

Police officers are (theoretically) trained public servants. As a citizen, I should be able to call them names, tell them to bite me, swear, and mouth off any way I like. It's their job to stand there and take it as long as I'm not physically threatening anyone, destroying property, or doing something that's unsafe. Is it nice? Of course not. Police officers should expect to come in regular contact with people who aren't nice, and know how to deal with them without escalating the situation. Maybe the gentlemen were angry or uncooperative with the illegal arrest. Wouldn't you be? Maybe they were polite, because history (I don't know either way). It doesn't matter. The cops have to suck it up.

Clearly, that isn't happening, and hasn't been happening forever when it comes to persons of color.

There's no law on the books that states you have to say, "yes officer, no officer." It may make your encounter easier, but there's every chance it won't, especially if you are a person of color.

This middle-aged white woman mouthed off to a trooper for what she considered an unsafe traffic stop. He was young enough to be my son, and I ripped him up one side and down the other for pulling me over on a twisty hill with no shoulder. He said nothing and continued writing my ticket. If I was a Black person, I would be dead now. I know the choice of chastising the cop was only available to me because I am white.

The cops are not anyone's friends. Public servants my ass.

[Aristus]

12. I hope they sue Starbuck's for so much money, the company doesn't want to

go on living.

But on a procedural note, the cops don't need to read you your rights when handcuffing you. Only prior to any interrogation.

[Delphinus]

41. I did

not know that - thank you. May I never *NEED* to know it too.

[Aristus]

42. Yeah, TV shows are constantly screwing that one up.

The Miranda Warning doesn't say "You have the right not to be put in handcuffs"; it just informs a suspect of his/her Constitutional rights while under police interrogation.

On so many shows, the suspect's lawyer shows up and the perp points to the cops and says: "They didn't read me my rights, man!"

The lawyer responds: "You have to let him go, gents; you know the law. Release him or show up as a deponent in a lawsuit against the city/county" etc...

What the lawyer should say to his client is: "Did they ask you any questions pertaining to the charges against you?"

If the answer is no, then the suspect stays where he is.

[mark67]

13. Something that no one's talking about...

...is this one of those Starbuck's where most, if not all, of the customers are white. That might explain (but not excuse) the reaction of the store manager to the "scary black folks" she had to ask to leave. Anyone from that neck of the woods?

[ansible]

16. No, the manager had a history of racism even towards black Starbucks employees

Former Starbucks manager Holly Hylton, who called the cops and got two law abiding Black men arrested inside the coffee shop, is being called out by a former employee who says that Hylton’s a controlling racist who targeted and demoted Black employees, reports the Daily Mail.

Ieshaa Cash says last year Hylton was hired on as a manager at the 18th and Spruce Starbucks in Philadelphia and employees warned her that her new boss was “controlling, aggressive, and emotional.” That Starbucks location is under fire because that is where two Black men were arrested while sitting and waiting for a friend.

Cash said she was the only Black employee besides an assistant manager at the Starbucks and she soon felt the wrath of Hylton who cut her pay without explanation, had her demoted from a supervisory position, avoided dealing with Black customers and called the cops often on Black people.

“She always found a reason to kick Black people out, she was way more likely to ask them to leave over white people who hadn’t made a purchase,” she said.



https://thegrio.com/2018/04/19/starbucks-manager-racism/

[mark67]

18. Thanks for that.

[pangaia]

20. WHOA NELLIE !!

[Canoe52]

15. KnR nt

[tavernier]

17. Oh, Im sure Ill be stoned for this,

but do you suppose if two young men who stated they were waiting for their partner to arrive for a real estate business meeting, would wearing suits or nice pants and clean shirts have made any difference?

This was handled stupidly by an idiot staff member, but people are always judged by appearance, and I mean clothing and cleanliness and all that stuff that shouldn’t matter, but does.

[onecaliberal]

19. Clean shirts? Really? Where did you get that their shirts were not clean?

or their pants weren't nice?

[pangaia]

21. HA HA !!!

Beyond the pale, is it not.

[tavernier]

34. In the video.

The guy is wearing what appears to be sloppy old sweat pants with the strings hanging down. Not what most men wear to business meetings.

[onecaliberal]

40. They were meeting at Starbucks. Honestly that doesnt have a damn thing to do with it.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

43. There are meetings, and then there are meetings - not all are formal dress-up affairs! Maybe he

just came from the gym or something. Criminy!

[Kurt V.]

22. see 16.

probably not.

[JustAnotherGen]

23. No it wouldn't have

Black men get targeted and read up thread -

I believe the employee of this woman. She demoted black folks and gave them a hard time.

She would have called the police on Barack and Michelle - I know the type.

[suffragette]

29. Agree. Only 2 minutes And one of the men had been a long time customer there.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/19/starbucks-black-men-feared-for-lives-philadelphia

Nelson and Robinson, black men who became best friends in the fourth grade, were taken in handcuffs from the Starbucks in Philadelphia’s tony Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, where Robinson has been a customer since he was 15.

[JustAnotherGen]

31. That chick was the problem

Totally on her. No more excuses from a type of poster that blake2012 pointed out very well in another post.

[suffragette]

32. Yep, it is ALL on her. Clear from the beginning and the more that comes out only strengthens that.

[lancelyons]

25. Agreed appearances do matter even if they shouldnt.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. Being black - we can't help it

Next copy and paste?

ETA- do you use a third party posting tool? Like a tapatalk?

[lancelyons]

24. This is not so much a Starbucks issue as it is an issue with the Employee who called the cops and

This is not so much a Starbucks issue as it is an issue with the Employee who called the cops and the cops themselves.

The person who called the cops should be ashamed. PERIOD.

The Cops should be ashamed that they had to resort to arresting them rather than just asking them to leave. It could have been diffused fairly easily.

This isnt so much an issue with Starbucks. Its not a wide spread problem at starbucks.
The starbucks CEO did the right thing and responded properly.

The police should now do the right thing and expunge the record of this for the 2 individuals.

[christx30]

38. Agreed.

Unless someone can find official company policy that says "people walking in must order within 2 minutes, or they're out on their butts", then the problem is the manager that kicked them out. And Starbucks fired her within 24 hours of this becoming national news. So Starbucks isn't the issue. It's the one woman. And now she's no longer Starbucks' problem. If she gets another job, she's their problem.