The Philadelphia Police Department has released the audio recording of the Starbucks manager's 911 call and police report.
The now former manager of the Starbucks located 1801 Spruce Street said the non-ordering customers were “two gentlemen.” The Philadelphia police dispatcher described them as a “group of males refusing to leave.” The police description sounds more threatening than two gentlemen.
The Philadelphia did not deescalate the situation. They actually escalated the incident. If these were two white gentlemen, there is no doubt the police would have politely escorted them out of the establishment. Instead, two black gentlemen were arrested for the unforgivable offense of Waiting While Black at Starbucks.
Starbucks has since announced that the 8,000 company-owned stores will close on the afternoon of May 29 “to conduct racial-bias education geared toward preventing discrimination in our stores.” CEO Kevin Johnson said in a statement:
I’ve spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it. While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution. Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities.
Meanwhile in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, “heartbroken” Mayor Jim Kenney is standing by Police Commissioner Richard Ross who said his “officers did absolutely nothing wrong.” The Philadelphia Inquirer editorialized:
Ross defended his officers, saying the men arrested were asked three times “politely to leave the location … because they were trespassing” and that the officers “had “a legal obligation to carry out their duties. And they did just that.”
What Ross leaves out is that officers do have some discretion in carrying out their duties. Consider when the Eagles won the Super Bowl and only four arrests were made after drunken, celebrating fans flipped a car, dismantled light poles, smashed a Macy’s window, and crumpled an awning at the Ritz-Carlton.
Philadelphia police were praised for showing discretion during the protest-deluged Democratic National Convention two years ago, when they made only 11 arrests over four days while issuing more than 100 citations. Where was that restraint when police responded to the 911 call from Starbucks?
Commissioner Ross has apologized to Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, the “two gentlemen” who were waiting while black at Starbucks for only two minutes when the manager called the police.
Mayor Jim Kenney applauded Ross for his “courage”:
Sometimes courage is as simple as a willingness to evaluate your own words and actions, and to account for them. Today we saw such courage with the words of Police Commissioner Richard Ross. I applaud his ability to reflect on this very difficult week, and to articulate his changed perspective. It’s that courage and self-reflection that makes the Commissioner such an effective leader. The current realities of race relations and bias in 2018 warrant ongoing re-evaluations by each and every one of us.
The current reality is that the audio of the 911 call and Rashon Nelson’s and Donte Robinson’s calm demeanor on “Good Morning America” rendered the police commissioner’s statement untenable. The 911 call and Nelson and Robinson’s interview demolished Ross’ claim that his “officers did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Ross and the Philadelphia Police Department must be held accountable. So pour a second cup of non-Starbucks coffee because POWER, Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild, is not letting this slide.
