Two Starbucks Baristas Fired For Fighting With Robbers After One Of Them Was Pistol Whipped
In yet another sign that up is down and doing the right thing is no longer considered doing the right thing, two Starbucks baristas were fired for fighting with armed robbers.
The two employees, Michael Harris and Devin Jones-Ransom, helped prevent the robbery and were able to subdue one of the thieves. That earned them both a one-way ticket to unemployment.
It all went down on December 17 at a Starbucks location in St. Louis. Two men, who appeared to be armed, entered the coffee shop and ordered everyone to get on the ground.
Joshua Noe (R) and Marquise Porter-Doyle arrested for attempted robbery among other charges (Image Credit: St. Louis City Justice Center)
The men, later identified as Joshua Noe and Marquise Porter-Doyle, then ordered the seven employees and one customer to hand over their valuables.
During the robbery the men demanded cash from the register. When Harris was unable to open the register because he didn't have the proper credentials, Noe hit him in the head with his pistol.
When he did so, the supposed gun cracked. It was at this point that Harris, his fellow barista Jones-Ransom, and the customer, believing that the guns were fake, decided to fight back.
The fight with the robbers resulted in the two Starbucks employees being able to restrain Noe until the police arrived. Porter-Doyle was able to flee the scene but was caught not long after the incident.
The two are now reportedly facing more than 20 felony charges for robbery, attempted robbery and assault. Sadly, it would surprise nobody if Starbucks decided to honor the two attempted robbers.
After all it's apparently part of their policy for their employees to never fight back under any circumstances, even if the employee has been hit in the head with a gun.
The Two Starbucks Baristas Were Fired For Not Allowing Themselves To Be Physically Assaulted
The two baristas were initially placed on leave before being fired a few weeks after the incident. That's right, the two who decided to fight back after one of them was physically assaulted were fired. Not the five other employees who did absolutely nothing.
In the backwards world we're currently living in, the five employees who got on the ground and did absolutely nothing are the actual heroes. Along with, of course, the two men who tried to rob the Starbucks. By all means let's throw them all a parade.
Michael Harris fired by Starbucks for fighting back against robbers. (Image Credit: Krupp Law Firm, LLC / Fox News)
"Harris complied with the robbers' demands until it was no longer an option for himself and others," says Ryan Krupp, the attorney representing the former Starbucks worker.
Krupp added in a press release that the two baristas were fired unexpectedly without explanation. He said, "Out of the blue, Michael and Devin were fired from the company without explanation as to what, if any policy was violated, or what they should have done differently about the situation."
Wonderful, hold your employees' jobs over their head and if they dare fight back, fire them. That's not going to open your business up to more of these types of robbery attempts. Not at all.