ADLER: Wrong about police at Starbucks

Dr. Adler states in his May 2 OP/Ed that “Police officers, it must be noted, were in an untenable position because they were not aware of Starbucks’ policy. Still, they accepted the word of the manager rather than the representations of the two young black men.” Dr. Adler is wrong. The officers were advised by the manager, who had the right as the representative of Starbucks to ask people to vacate the premises, that she had asked the men to leave. They refused her request. The officers then asked the men to leave, as per the direction of the manager. They again refused. At that point, they were arrested. It had absolutely nothing to do with who the officers believed — it had everything to do with the men’s continued refusal to leave the premises. Had the men complied with either the request of the manager or the police to leave, none of us would have ever heard about the incident.

TAD LEACH

Coeur d’Alene