Officers did nothing wrong in Philadelphia Starbucks arrest, police chief says

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s police commissioner is defending his officers’ decision to arrest two black men at a Starbucks that prompted social media users to call the incident “racist.”

Videos posted online show officers handcuffing the men in the downtown establishment Thursday.

Commissioner Richard Ross said Starbucks employees called police to say the men were trespassing. He said they came in to use the restroom but were denied because they hadn’t bought anything.

Ross, who is black, said police asked the men to leave three times but they refused. They were arrested and released. Ross said his officers “did absolutely nothing wrong.”

There was no mention of the white man in the video who said he was meeting with the men. He called the arrest “ridiculous” on video.

Starbucks tweeted an apology Saturday.