Starbucks Employees Fired After Foiling Armed Robbery

New footage has emerged depicting a tense confrontation between two Starbucks employees and armed robbers at a high-crime location, a situation that turned out to be a matter of life and death for those involved.

The chaotic scene unfolded in December 2023 when two hooded men entered a Starbucks close to St. Louis University, as revealed by the video obtained by Fox 2 News.

As the robbers demanded control, one aimed a gun at the employee behind the counter, causing a group of ten staff members and one customer to drop to the floor.

One of the thieves rushed toward the cash register, pushing a female employee aside.

Michael Harris, a drive-thru worker, approached the register only to be confronted by a robber. “I was scared, but I was also calm at the time because I thought anything we could do to get them out of here was perfect,” he recounted.

As he tried to open the cash register, the robber struck him with the gun, which left him fearing for his life. “It was definitely a life-or-death situation in my eyes,” Harris expressed.

A second employee, Devin Jones Ransom, saw his colleague attacked and chose to intervene, jumping on the robber and pushing him towards the drive-thru window.

After realizing the gun was fake, the weapon broke upon impact. Harris then joined in, recounting, “When they hit him, the trigger broke. My colleague announced it was a fake gun, so we jumped out and started fighting.”

Security footage showed the two employees defending themselves against the robbers. They successfully subdued Joshua Noe and Marquis Porter Doyle during the altercation.

In the aftermath, Noe was left on the ground motionless, while his accomplice managed to escape. A mugshot taken post-arrest depicted Noe with a bloodied face and visible injuries.

Both robbers ended up being convicted of robbery and received prison sentences.

Weeks following the incident, Harris and his coworkers were terminated from their positions. “I was surprised. I was distraught. I was confused,” Harris recalled about receiving the call regarding his dismissal.

He mentioned that the Starbucks locations had seen an increase in hostile and aggressive behavior from customers prior to the robbery attempt, describing incidents of threats and assaults that colleagues had endured.

Starbucks defended its decision to let the employees go, stating they did not follow company policy of accommodating requests and avoiding risky actions. “Our priority is to ensure the safety of everyone in our stores… adhering to these protocols is essential,” the company stated.

Harris’ attorney criticized the policy, emphasizing it could discourage employees from defending themselves in dangerous situations. “It just potentially deters people from defending their lives when they need it most,” attorney Ryan Krupp argued.