Two Starbucks Baristas Fired After Fighting Back Against Violent Robbers

After successfully foiling a robbery, two Starbucks baristas in Missouri have been fired from the company for their heroic efforts.

According to St. Louis police, the incident began when the alleged robbers — 37-year-old Joshua Noe and 35-year-old Marquise Porter-Doyle — rushed into the coffee shop on December 17 carrying what appeared to be handguns.

Noe and Porter-Doyle then demanded the employees hand over all of the money in the register. However, after the employee informed them that he was not able to open the safe, Noe allegedly hit the employee on the head with his weapon. The victims immediately realized that the guns were fake when the weapon shattered, prompting them to fight back against the attackers.

Several customers joined two of the baristas in beating down the would-be robbers and were able to hold Noe down until police arrived, though Porter-Doyle was able to flee the scene. Police ultimately caught up with the suspect and arrested him.

The pair of alleged robbers are facing a combined 20 felony charges including robbery and attempted robbery.

However, the robbers aren’t the only ones being punished for the incident. Instead of praising the baristas for foiling a robbery attempt and defending themselves against violent criminals, Starbucks has fired both baristas — who have been identified as Michael Harris and Devin Jones-Ransom.

Ryan Krupp, the attorney representing Harris, has announced a lawsuit against Starbucks.

“Michael and Devin were promptly fired by the company without any explanation as to what, if any policy they violated, or what they should have done differently about the situation,” Krupp told the St. Louis Riverfront Times.

“Harris complied with the robbers’ demands until it was no longer an option for himself and others,” he added.

The attorney further explained that Harris had acted out of fear for his life, as he believed the robbers could have killed him.

“I just wanted to do the right thing as a person and as an employee,” Harris said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a Starbucks representative has issued a statement suggesting that the baristas had violated protocol by fighting back.

“The safety and wellbeing of our partners (employees) and customers is always our first concern,” the statement read. “All partners are expected to follow our carefully crafted protocols to ensure the safety of customers and partners during these situations.”