A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy received an unwelcome surprise during a coffee run at a Norwalk Starbucks last week. A cup handed to the officer bore a hand-drawn image of a pig, a depiction which the LASD termed "extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable." The incident, which unfolded on January 9, has sparked an investigation by the coffee giant, as reported by CBS Los Angeles.
On his private Instagram account, the deputy expressed his discomfort with the experience, saying, "It felt discouraging and disrespectful, especially after a long day of serving the community. All I wanted was caffeine, but instead I left feeling uneasy." Sheriff Robert Luna reached out to the deputy to offer support and to confirm to quickly address the matter with the company's corporate security, as per a statement acquired by KTLA.
Starbucks has since apologized for the incident, explaining the pig drawing to actually resemble "John Pork," a popular meme unrelated to law enforcement. The image, which has even stumped Jeopardy host Ken Jennings, inadvertently made it onto the deputy's cup. The act of linking this image to the deputy was something Starbucks never intended and is taking action to prevent such an incident from repeating, as noted by NBC Los Angeles.
Public reaction has been mixed, ranging from support of the LASD to criticism of the department's response. On LASD’s Facebook page, comments varied widely, with some calling for the employee’s termination and others labeling the department "embarrassing" and overly sensitive. A spokesperson for Starbucks firmly stated, "This was unacceptable. We have reached out to the customer several times and leaders in the Sheriff’s Department to apologize," emphasizing the company's respect and appreciation for law enforcement's role in community safety. The company also informed that they have initiated an investigation and will take swift action, based on the information from KTLA.
