Ex-Starbucks employee slaps coffee chain with lawsuit, claims he was fired for fighting shoplifters

A former Starbucks employee is suing the chain for firing him (and a co-worker) after successfully fighting would-be thieves.

Michael Harris, 20, was working at the drive-thru at a Missouri Starbucks on Dec. 17 when two apparently armed thugs, identified as Joshua Noe, 37, and Marquise Porter-Doyle, 35, entered the restaurant and they tried to rob everyone. .

“I thought I was going to die that day. They came in, announced it was a robbery. They started coming up to people and taking things from them,” Harris recalled to local station KSDK.

At one point, the two demanded cash from the cash register, but when Harris was unable to open it, one of the two allegedly hit him in the head with his alleged gun. There was just one problem.

“The trigger went off,” Harris recalled to KSDK.

Realizing the gun was fake, he and co-worker Devin Jones-Ransom began fighting.

“During the fight, police allege Noe and Porter-Doyle each struck one of the victims in the face,” according to the Riverfront Times.

“However, a police incident summary says people at the Starbucks were able to subdue and take Noe into custody. Porter-Doyle fled before police arrived, but officers found him a short time later,” reported the diary

All was well after that until a couple of weeks later, when Harris got a call from Starbucks.

“I was fired,” he told KSDK. “They didn't actually give me a reason why I was fired. They just told me I was, and I just had to accept it.”

Both he and his lawyers are now looking for answers.

“They didn't create the dangerous scenario, they just did what they were supposed to do in that scenario,” attorney Ryan Krupp told the station.

“It happens fast. There is no way an individual can face danger, a potential death attempt by themselves or another, and then, once they've been hit or taken down, be unable to defend themselves.” , it continued.

“It is a fundamental principle of the law of this nation and the law of this state that when faced with a life or death scenario, you are given the ability to defend yourself,” added attorney Robert Thomas Topping.

According to Harris, he misses his job.

“I got hurt, mostly because I tried to do my best for others. I tried to be the best person I could to help everybody,” she said.

In a statement to KSDK, Starbucks suggested he and his co-worker were wrong to not follow a policy that says employees must de-escalate and comply with bad guys.

“The safety and well-being of our partners (employees) and customers is always our first concern. All partners are expected to follow our carefully crafted protocols to ensure the safety of customers and partners during these situations,” said the company

“At the time of hiring and then once a year, all partners go through de-escalation training. Part of this training includes armed robbery scenarios where members are asked to comply with demands and to avoid doing or saying anything that could escalate the situation,” he added.

But because of its strict policies, the company now faces a potential boycott, with critics taking to social media, particularly on the X app, to express their displeasure with the brand.

Look at:

These companies are defined by their cowardice. There is literally no liability to the company for not providing security for their store. If I am that employee, I advocate very quickly.

— Adrian Rodgers (@AdrianWRodgers) January 26, 2024

I hope they get every penny @Starbucks has. This is the biggest travesty I've ever heard of… You can't even stand up for your own life at work? even if they broke your head? What about our country?

— Hans Gruber the Great (@f__pittman) January 27, 2024

@starbucks he takes his life to defend himself in a life or death situation. I'm boycotting @starbucks about this. spread the word, @starbucks it would be fine if all his employees were killed during an armed robbery

— IVY (@HOTSTOCKPICKSG) January 27, 2024

A Starbucks employee who defends his life from violent robbers, who were pistol-whipping him, is fired by Starbucks.@Starbucks he should be boycotted by everyone unless they immediately rehire this hero and give him a promotion.

— BigApplePhoenix (@BigApplePhoenix) January 26, 2024

Wow! really. At @Starbucks employees are treated worse than prisoners. Why would anyone want to work there? Why would anyone pay for this? Imagine drinking coffee and witnessing horrific violence forced upon the person trying to serve you coffee.

— TheGreatSun (@The_GreatSun) January 27, 2024

Meanwhile, Harris is struggling to pay her bills and college tuition now that she's out of a job.

“This job was helping me pay for college,” he said New York Post. “I just don't get it. I thought it was the right thing to do.

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a BizPac Review staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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