Newly released shocking video shows the moment a Starbucks employee confronted two robbers at his St. Louis store, in a move he claims got him fired from the world’s largest coffee chain.
Michael Harris said Starbucks fired him and another coworker after they confronted men who attempted to rob their store in December 2023, according to local outlet Fox 2. This week, more than two years after the attempted robbery, the outlet has obtained new footage of the incident.
Security cameras inside the store captured the chaotic scene after two men walked in and demanded money. One of them went behind the counter and shoved an employee to the ground, the footage shows. A customer who pulled up to the drive-through was also seen reversing their car after realizing what was happening inside the store.
Harris told Fox 2 that one of the robbers hit him with a gun, and he thought he was “about to get shot.” But moments later, another Starbucks employee, who was also later fired, shoved one of the men and realized the gun was fake, according to the outlet.
“My coworker announced that it was a fake gun like right as he got it off of them and that’s when we jumped and like started to fight them a little bit more,” Harris told Fox 2.
One of the men got away, but Harris and his coworkers restrained the other until police arrived, he told KSDK in 2024. They have since been convicted of robbery.
Harris sued for wrongful termination in 2024, and his case is set for a jury trial beginning next summer, his attorney, Ryan Krupp, told The Independent.
“Situations like this remind us of a fundamental truth both ethically and legally: we owe our employers our good work, not our lives. My clients did the right thing and they were wrongfully punished,” Krupp said.
The Independent has contacted Starbucks for comment.
In January 2024, a Starbucks spokesperson told NBC News the company was “deeply disturbed to learn of this frightening incident.”
“Partner safety is at the core of how we operate in our stores, and we are so grateful that our partners and customers did not come to greater harm in this situation,” the spokesperson said.
They added that employees “are expected to follow our carefully crafted protocols to ensure the safety of customers and partners during these situations.”
“In situations like this, our training and protocols guide our partners to comply and de-escalate, not just for their safety but for the safety of all in the store.”
