Men Who Were Arrested At Starbucks Speak Out After Having Police Called On Them 2 Minutes After Arriving & Being In “Fear” Of Their Lives; Police Chief Apologizes

-blogged by @theRealAlexisDanielle
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Just one week after gaining national attention from a viral video, two black men who were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks are telling their story.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, along with their lawyer Stewart Cohen, sat with “Good Morning America” to detail their experience of getting arrested for arriving 10 minutes early to a business meeting.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
According to the men, who are both 23-year-old, they entered the #Starbucks cafe at 4:35 pm and Nelson asked to use the restroom. In response, the manager told Nelson that restrooms were only for paying customers. Nelson says he “just left it at that.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
After the men sat down at a table Robinson says the same manager approached them and asked if she could help them with any drinks. They declined.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At 4:37, two minutes after the men arrived, the manager called the police stating: “two gentlemen in my cafe that are refusing to make a purchase or leave.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Robinson says he saw the police and thought “they can’t be here for us.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
According to Nelson, the officers approached them and told them they had to leave. After that, they were arrested. The men say that there was never a discussion of what happened, their rights were never read to them, nor were they told why they were being arrested.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Nelson told the associated press that he feared for his life.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Anytime I’m encountered by cops, I can honestly say it’s a thought that runs through my mind,” Nelson said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross had initially stated that the officers “did absolutely nothing wrong.” Thursday, he walked those comments back.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“I should have said the officers acted within the scope of the law, and not that they didn’t do anything wrong,” Ross said. “Words are very important.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ross went on to say that he did not knows that it is a traditional practice for people to sit inside of Starbucks cafes without making purchases and that he can now see why they were “appalled.” He also stated that he doesn’t believe his officers knew of this practice either.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The two men have had several meetings with Starbucks representatives to bring change to policies regarding racial profiling and other policies that may affect customers.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“I want to make sure this situation doesn’t happen again,” Robinson said. “What I want is for a young man or young men to not be traumatized by this; and instead, motivated and inspired.”