California coffee shop defends policy of not serving cops

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A California coffee shop is under fire over its policy of refusing service to police officers.

Controversy erupted after Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, Calif., refused to serve a Latino police sergeant citing its policy of “asking police to leave for the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves.”

The Oakland police union sent a letter to the cafe alleging that its staff refused to serve the sergeant.

“Obviously, this is both a surprise and a matter of concern for all Oakland police officers,” the letter read, KTVU reported.

The cafe claims that supporters of the police department are trying to shame the restaurant with low reviews because the cop who was denied service was Latino.

But the establishment defended its policy.

“We know in our experience working on campaigns against police brutality that we are not alone saying that police presence compromises our feelings of physical & emotional safety,” Hasta Muerte Coffee said on its Instagram page.

“The facts are that poc, women, and queer police are complicit in upholding the same law and order that routinely criminalizes and terrorizes black and brown and poor folks, especially youth, trans, and houseless folks.”

“For these reasons and so many more, we need the support of the actual community to keep this place safe, not police,” the statement read.

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