Two black men arrested at Starbucks break silence, say ‘you never know what’s going to happen’

Nelson, on the other hand, said he had asked to use the restroom when an employee informed him that it was for paying customers only. “And I just left it at that,” he said.

However, contradictory to Nelson’s statement, the police report stated that the men reportedly cursed at the manager who then dialled 911 to inform the cops that the men were not making a purchase and were refusing to leave. “It didn’t really hit me what was going on — that it was real — until I’m being double-locked and my hands [are] behind my back,” Robinson said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Nelson said the incident continues to trouble him as he feels he might possibly die. “Anytime I’m encountered by cops, I can honestly say it’s a thought that runs through my mind. You never know what’s going to happen,” he said, adding that he wants to “help people understand it’s not just a black people thing; it’s a people thing.”

Meanwhile, Philadelphia police commissioner Richard Ross changed course on Thursday and took partial responsibility for the incident. “I fully acknowledge that I played a significant role in making (the incident) worse,” Ross told a news conference. He added, “I should have said the officers acted within the scope of the law, and not that they didn’t do anything wrong.”

The police chief’s statements came nearly a week after he stood by the officers who arrested the two black men, stating that “these officers did absolutely nothing wrong”. “These officers did absolutely nothing wrong. They followed policy; they did what they were supposed to do. They were professional in all their dealings with these gentlemen,” he had said.

Read | Starbucks is closing 8,000 US cafes on May 29 afternoon amid race row; all you need to know

Ross said he failed to understand the business model and that it is “reasonable to believe” the arresting officers did not know about it either. “While this is apparently a well-known fact with Starbucks customers, not everyone is aware that people spend long hours in Starbucks and aren’t necessarily expected to make a purchase,” he said.

A Starbucks spokesperson told The Washington Post, “In this particular store, the guidelines were that partners must ask unpaying customers to leave the store, and police were to be called if they refused.”

Facing backlash from all quarters, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson last week apologised to the two black men and acknowledged the incident as “a disheartening situation in one of our Philadelphia-area stores this past Thursday, that led to a reprehensible outcome”. Johnson admitted that the manager of the concerned store made a mistake. “Regretfully, our practices and training led to a bad outcome — the basis for the call to the Philadelphia police department was wrong. Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did,” he had said.

The world’s biggest coffee company will close its 8,000 US cafes for the afternoon on May 29 so that its employees can undergo training in racial tolerance.

The two black men spent several hours in custody before being released. The men’s lawyer, Stewart Cohen, says a retired federal judge is overseeing mediation with Starbucks.