Starbucks' 911 call that led to Philadelphia arrests of two black men

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Philadelphia City Councilman, Kenyatta Johnson, center, flanked by two fellow members, speaks at the podium during a press conference outside the Starbucks on 18th & Spruce Streets in Philadelphia on April 16, 2018. Two black men were arrested last week in a video incident that went viral over the weekend.

Philadelphia police have released recordings of the 911 call and radio voice-communications exchanges that led to the arrest of two African-American men at a Starbucks, resulting in calls for a boycott of the coffee chain.

In the 4:37 p.m. ET 911 call from last Thursday, a Starbucks employee, believed to be the manager, asks police to come to the store.

"I have two gentlemen in my cafe that are refusing to make a purchase or leave. I am at the Starbucks at 18th and Spruce," the employee said.

That call set events in motion that would lead to series of apologies by Starbucks, saying it should never have been placed; an afternoon of racial bias training at almost 8,000 stores scheduled for next month and angry protestors descending on the store amid calls for a boycott.

At the Starbucks store that afternoon, the two men explained they were waiting for a friend. One had asked for access to a restroom and was denied because he hadn't bought anything. The manager then called police even though Starbucks, with its comfy chairs and usually ample electric outlets for computers, has never shunned being a community meeting spot. 

The incident raised issues of whether Starbucks has a double standard because of the belief that white men or women wouldn't have been asked to leave if they hadn't ordered food or drink.

More:Starbucks closing U.S. stores on May 29 for racial-bias training

More:Arrest of two black men at Starbucks sparks debate on race in retail

More:Black man videotapes Starbucks' refusal to let him use restroom

In the recording, a police car is dispatched. Officers ask for backup and a supervisor due to a "disturbance at the Starbucks" involving a "group of males." Officers then indicate they are going to make arrests and transport the pair.

When the officers arrived, a patron videotaped the incident. The tape shows the pair's friend, who is white, arriving and questioning why the arrests are taking place. The two men remain calm as they are handcuffed and led away.

Starbucks didn't press trespassing charges. The pair were later released.

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