A police chief in Oklahoma claims one of his officers was handed a coffee cup with the word ‘pig’ printed on the label, as he was trying to cheer up his dispatchers on Thanksgiving.
The officer, from Kiefer Police Department, went to Starbucks to get coffee for those who were working away from their families alongside him for the day, but was shocked to see how it was branded.
Chief Johnny O’Mara posted a picture of the cup to Facebook on Thursday, November 28, with the photo appearing to show the word ‘pig’ printed on it on the cup. The officer said it ‘irked’ him to see such ‘disrespect’ for a police officer who was just doing his job.
Alongside the picture, O’Mara criticised the Starbucks barista for ‘expressing oneself’ rather than simply pouring the ‘overpriced cup of coffee’.
He wrote:
This is what he gets for being nice… This cup of coffee for a ‘pig’ is just another little flag.
It’s another tiny symptom and a nearly indiscernible shout from a contemptuous, roaring and riotous segment of a misanthropic society that vilifies those who stand for what’s right and glorifies the very people who would usher in the destruction of the social fabric.
It’s another tiny pinprick into the heart of men and women who are asking themselves more often: ‘Why am I doing this?’…
Thank you, first responders, for risking it all this Thanksgiving away from your families. If you’re looking for coffee use a place where you pour your own and you’re certain of what’s in it. Stay safe; go home.
The incident reportedly happened when the police officer went to the Starbucks in Glenpool to pick up five drinks, with O’Mara telling KTUL he only noticed the offensive label when a customer pointed it out to him.
The word was reportedly printed on all of the cups, with the police chief describing it as ‘gut wrenching’, stating: ‘Especially knowing that these cups were going to dispatchers, these people are there waiting for 911 calls to come in.’
Starbucks has since apologised to the officer and suspended a barista pending an investigation, a company spokesman said on Thursday. Jory Mendes, spokesperson for Starbucks, said the incident was ‘absolutely unacceptable’.
He continued:
We are deeply sorry to the law enforcement officer who experienced this. We have also apologised directly to him and we are working to connect with the police chief as well as to express our remorse.
Mendes said the language used was ‘offensive to all law enforcement’ and was ‘not representative of the deep appreciation we have for police officers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe’.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).