Woman Who Shared Philadelphia Starbucks Arrest Video Tells Her Story.

[Cattledog]

If you’ve been anywhere near the Internet over the last 48 hours, you’ve probably seen the video of two African American men being arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department inside a Starbucks on Thursday afternoon. Starbucks has apologized. The men were not charged with anything and have been released. And the PPD has said the cops did nothing wrong. Here, Rittenhouse Square resident Melissa DePino — the one who shared the video — gives her account of what happened inside the Starbucks.

Link to tweet

So this has been an interesting couple of days.
It’s freaking insane. Like, literally insane. It’s crazy viral. Every single media outlet in the world is calling me. But I’ve only talked to the Root and somebody from Good Morning America. It’s so overwhelming.

When did you first notice the two men who wound up being arrested at the Starbucks?
I was just sitting there working on my laptop, and I guess I first noticed them when the two first cops — the bike cops — walked in. The girl behind the counter had called 911, apparently, and the cops came and said the guys were “trespassing.” They said we were waiting for somebody, and then the white guy in the video — that’s their family friend they were waiting for — he shows up. The guys wanted to know what they did. And then more cops and more cops and more cops show up.

And then how did it escalate from there?
A bunch of people in the store were standing up and talking to the girl behind the counter and the cops, asking why this was happening. And then they freaking put them in handcuffs and perp-walked them out the freaking store. These guys never raised their voices. They never did anything remotely aggressive.

You would have heard or seen it.
I was sitting close to where they were. Very close. They were not doing anything. They weren’t.

What’s been the reaction to the video that you shared?
I can’t even get over it. It’s got 4.15 million views, 101,000 retweets. It’s freaking insane. Honestly, I didn’t think this would get picked up.

Why not?
People ignore this kind of stuff. They don’t believe that it happens. People are saying that there must be more to this story. There is not. This would never happen to someone who looks like me. People don’t believe black people when they say this stuff happens. It does. They want to know the extenuating circumstances. There are none.

What do you hope happens next?
I’m no expert. I just happened to be there and I happened to share this video. I knew it wasn’t right. I hope it starts a conversation. And hopefully people will start to believe that this really does happen.

Will you be going back to that Starbucks?
No. I can’t. And it’s right around the corner from my house.


https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/04/14/philadelphia-starbucks-arrest-video/

[JI7]

1. "People are saying that there must be more to this story."

It's on video. Even white customers who were there the entire time said nothing happened but people still want to insist there must be more to it.

[malaise]

3. Many folks live with blinkers -some are entitled racists

who want to believe overt racists (like the idiot who called the cops) over facts.

[HipChick]

14. Starbucks need to open their check book....CEO apology ain't worth shit while the manager still

remains employed....I'm boycotting...Panera is better anyway...

[malaise]

19. Of those two young men will soon be sitting pretty

I hope they sue

[progressoid]

21. This could easily happen at Panera too.

Any racist employee can call some racist cops and the same thing could happen.

[HipChick]

26. They'd be dumb with the spotlight on it..

[progressoid]

40. There are no shortage of idiots out there.

Couple months ago..."3 Old Navy Employees Fired After Viral Video About Racial-Profiling Incident"

Life catches up with you real fast, and three employees have been fired from an Old Navy after an Iowa man posted several videos detailing his encounter with management at the store located in West Des Moines.

James Conley III shared his experience at the Old Navy store, where he said he was accused last Tuesday of stealing a jacket that he had walked into the store wearing. The posts soon went viral, sparking outrage.
Article preview thumbnail
Iowa Man Says He Was Racially Profiled by Old Navy Employees Who Didn’t Believe He Purchased the…

By Saturday, Old Navy had released a statement on its Facebook page, apologizing to Conley and announcing that three employees had been terminated as a result of the incident, the DesMoines Register reports.

“The situation was a violation of our policies and values, and we apologize to both Mr. Conley and to those we’ve disappointed. All of our customers deserve to be treated with respect,” the statement read in part. “Following a thorough investigation of the incident, three employees who were involved have been terminated. We take this matter—and every conversation around equality—very seriously.

https://www.theroot.com/3-old-navy-employees-fired-after-following-viral-video-1822722499

[TeamPooka]

4. There is more to it. It's called institutional racism. nt

[Ms. Toad]

7. It's actually not on video.

The video shows the arrest - not what led up to the arrest.

FWIW, I absolutely believe it was racism and that the same would not have happened to white customers waiting for a friend.

But "It's on video," won't provide a satisfactory answer to anyone not already inclined to view it as racism.

[Cha]

2. Thank you for Melissa's first hand

account, Cattledog.

[George II]

5. The ridiculous thing is that Starbucks bills themselves as a place to sit and work on your laptop...

....not necessarily having to buy something.

I've met people in town here to discuss things and not buy anything. Never a problem.

I'm sure Starbucks will get involved and clear this up - it's not good PR for them.

But the most important thing about this is that it would never have happened to a couple of white men.

[trueblue2007]

6. STARBUCKS manager FIRE HER NOW! Fire the cops. Fire the police chief for saying the cops were ok

off with their .....

[BigmanPigman]

10. I went one whole time in my life and have boycotted them since due to it.

I went in 1998 and bought a plain, black coffee and I put ice in it and then sugar and milk. The girl behind the counter told me I owed her 50 cents for the milk since I had just made myself a cappuccino by pouring the milk on the bar into my coffee. In a state of shock I paid it and wrote a nasty, detailed letter to the company. In return I got coupons for their store which I promptly gave away and never, ever went back. I worked at an Italian coffee shop in Phila and if I had ever done that to a customer I would've been nailed by my boss. Fuck them!

[exboyfil]

31. Reminds me of the story in Minneapolis

Chris Lollie was waiting for his kid to finish school in a bank location adjoining a walkway and was tased and arrested by cops. The bank even advertised the space as common space.

http://www.startribune.com/man-tasered-arrested-in-skyway-settles-lawsuit-against-st-paul-police/368628471/

[yellowwoodII]

8. Thank you

Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.&quot

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

[BumRushDaShow]

9. I am glad that she came out and matter-of-factly told it like it is

The added danger to POC is from people who see what is happening and stay silent.

I applaud her actions and wish her the best of luck while this story swirls in the news. There were at least a hundred protestors throughout the day down there in front of the store today according to our local news.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/starbucks-philadelphia-police-viral-video-investigation-race-ceo-protest-20180415.html

The CEO is reportedly en route.

[japple]

11. It's great that this woman posted the video, but until people

stand up and get involved, nothing much will happen. IMHO, if a few people who were inside this cafe started speaking up and coming to the aid of the men who were apprehended, things might have turned out differently. I am sure that many people (self included) are afraid of law enforcement or unhinged bystander escalation.

[justgamma]

22. She said they did.

nd then how did it escalate from there?
A bunch of people in the store were standing up and talking to the girl behind the counter and the cops, asking why this was happening.
And then they freaking put them in handcuffs and perp-walked them out the freaking store. The cops arrested them anyway.

[misanthrope]

12. Starbucks coffee beans are over-roasted

The only one I've used in a long time was on a trip to see the solar eclipse last summer. It was by the interstate highway and we were in a hurry.

[George II]

13. They smell like they're burned. I don't like their coffee.

[yellowdogintexas]

17. try their 'blonde' coffees; light roast and very smooth

I sometimes have them ground for my french press; makes a lovely cup of coffee

[misanthrope]

23. Thanks for the tip

I use a French press as well but prefer to grind my beans immediately prior to making a couple of cups. The oils stay fresher that way and it seems to make a huge difference in the quality.

[pangaia]

18. Hell, Wegmans coffee is better.

[Mosby]

27. not in my opinion

Their espresso beans are the best, strong but perfectly roasted. Try an "americano" if you want to sample the expresso bean without all the other crap.

[onetexan]

15. i'd like to know who the heck this girl behind the counter is

probably a trump supporter

[NNadir]

16. I won't be setting foot in a Starbucks unless I have to pee very badly.

If I do, I'll go in, and I'll use the bathroom, and I'll be allowed to do so, because I'm white.

But I won't be opening my wallet as I used to do when I previously needed to pee and went into a Starbucks.

Their coffee sucks anyway, their pastries are stale, and their stuff is all over priced, so it's no great loss.

[ProudLib72]

20. Surely (hopefully) there were more people than just this one woman

who were not directly involved but who observed the events unfold.

[Tatiana]

24. Melissa DePino, thank you for your account (and your humanity).

I hope the gentlemen that were arrested sue.

[mountain grammy]

25. No excuses for this, none!

so glad she's speaking out.

[mnmoderatedem]

28. 911? The girl behind the counter called 911?

in what parallel universe is that an actual emergency?

[BumRushDaShow]

32. It's not "corporate policy"

Because this has happened before in 2015 (with a cop) at a different store downtown here in Philly and Corporate insisted it wouldn't happen again.

<...>

In reply to Leighthardt's post on Starbucks' official Facebook page, Starbucks wrote in part, "We are aware of this situation, and it is certainly not in line with the experience we want any of our customers to have in our stores. We are taking all necessary steps to ensure this doesn't happen in the future."

A spokesperson for Starbucks did not specify what those steps are when asked by NBC10, but wrote, "We want everyone who visits our stores to enjoy their visit. This customer's experience was not consistent with the welcoming and friendly environment we strive to create for everyone."We have personally apologized to the customer and look forward to welcoming him back to our store."

NBC10's Rosemary Connors visited the Starbucks Monday and was allowed to use the bathroom without having to pay for anything.

<...>

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/PHI-Starbucks-Responds-to-Viral-Post-that-Barista-Denied-Police-Sergeant-Restroom-Access-327679561.html

[Blue_true]

34. Most restaurants in big cities require people to buy something to use facilities for an extended

time. That is what I have seen.

[BumRushDaShow]

35. Starbucks wasn't billing themselves as a "restaurant".

Especially since the menu was pretty minimal. They were "coffee bars" or "coffee lounges" and were configured with equipment to handle internet surfers in order to compete with the local indie coffee shops and internet cafes. Thus their larger stores have sofas, soft chairs, and other furniture to mimic a huge livingroom or rec room.

This is what THIS particular Starbucks looked like inside. On the wall at the opposite of the doors was apparently a long sofa.

[Neema]

39. I live in one of the largest cities in the country with Starbucks on every other corner.

I have used the washroom and met people and used the wifi at many Starbucks all over the city and have never encountered so much as a question much less faced arrest.

And even if that is the policy, you ask someone to make a purchase, you don't call the police.

[Blue_true]

33. I largely agree.

In big cities, if everyone can freely come in and use the restroom without buying something, a restaurant will turn into a circus pretty fast. I seldom wait for people in restaurants, mostly I do in hotel lobbies, but when I have waited in restaurants, I buy something and explain to the people at the counter that I am waiting for someone and I expect then in X time.

The manager does not have to be a Trump supporter. She could have gotten roasted by district management about being too liberal with allowing restroom use or people sitting in the store without buying something. Would be interesting in knowing her story. Yes, she made the wrong choice, but it could have been because she felt that she needed to follow policy.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. You apparently didn't read the link to my post that you responded to.

They did that to a cop and got smacked.

These are not sit-down / reservation-style "restaurants". There are no waiters/waitresses that bring a menu to you and then come back and bring food to a table. They are supposedly "social hubs" in terms of their public and word-of-mouth advertising.

Oddly enough, McDonalds started offering free wifi in some of their restaurants to encourage the same thing almost 10 years ago before Starbucks went "free" -

McDonald's Adds Free Wi-Fi to the Menu

In an effort to become more of a "destination" than a grab-n-go eatery, that most iconic of fast food chains — McDonald's — is now serving up free wi-fi. Starting mid-January, the restaurant will nix the $2.95 fee that it had previously charged for two hours of Internet access (which was available at 11,000 of its 14,000 domestic locales).

<...>

So why the switch to free Wi-Fi? Well, McDonalds is hoping to become a hang-out spot of the coffee shop variety — it also plans to start selling frappes and smoothies mid-2010. And given the fact that coffee chains like Starbucks charge customers to surf while they sip, the idea doesn't seem all that pie-in-the-sky.

Of course, the question becomes this: Doesn't the concept of people lingering at McDonald's to troll Facebook negate the very concept of a "fast food" restaurant, a concept that aims to get as many people fed and out the door as possible?

What do you think? Would you plug in at McDonalds? Or are you sticking to your local coffee shop?

https://mashable.com/2009/12/15/mcdonalds-free-wifi-2/#yXJklrnkIqqp

[misanthrope]

37. Personally, I assume that a for-profit business has those priorities

If I'm using someone's facility like that, I consider it simply conscientious to buy something in exchange, even something small. Your friend is being wise.

If I'm traveling and have to use a restroom then I make a purchase, even if it's just a bottle of water. I don't assume they're running a charity.

[Neema]

38. That may or may not be corporate policy, but I've gone to Starbucks MANY, MANY times and

used the bathroom and even waited for people there without ordering. I have NEVER been so much as questioned about it. Not even a second glance. No surprise, I'm white.

And if they want to enforce the policy (which they should do uniformly), all they have to do is ask someone to place an order before sitting down. They don't have to call the police. How is that kind of escalation even REMOTELY justified?

In your "humble opinion," what else would you call it when cops handcuff two individuals and march them into their squad car? How does describing the situation accurately "incite and inflame"?

[left-of-center2012]

41. You've got your opinion

I've got mine.

Ain't that great?

[Renoir]

42. The only crime committed here

...was that the woman FILMED VERTICALLY. I hate that idiocy with a burning passion, and no punishment is hard enough when it comes to ridding the world of Vertical Video Syndrome. But I guess if this is the only video available of the incident, I'd be forced to let it slide.

The black men obviously didn't commit any crime, and from a purely legal standpoint I suppose the cops didn't either - but I'd still like to see them lose their jobs over it. Pigs will be pigs.