Target Finds No 'Suspicious Behavior' After Reviewing Starbucks Footage in Cop Tampon Case
Target has officially weighed in on the accusations that a Starbucks barista in one of its [...]
Target has officially weighed in on the accusations that a Starbucks barista in one of its California stores had stuffed a tampon into a Frappuccino ordered by an off-duty police officer. Given that the Starbucks location in question was inside a Target, it made the accused Target employees.
On Tuesday, Target officially offered a statement to Fox LA reporter Bill Melugin, which indicated they'd reviewed the video footage and "have not found any suspicious behavior." The statement also read that they "look forward to the conclusions" of their investigation into the matter. They also indicated that the company had shared the video with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The findings will likely vindicate the suspicions that people expressed over social media.
UPDATE: Statement from Target:
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) June 23, 2020
“We take this allegation seriously. We have reviewed video footage and have not found any suspicious behavior. We have shared the video with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and look forward to the conclusions of their investigation.”
Melugin had initially reported on Friday that sources claimed that the officer, who has yet to be identified, used their police credit union debit card to purchase his drink. The officer discovered the alleged tampon in his Frappuccino while they were "halfway" through drinking it. After making the discovery, the officer "angrily" went back inside to confront staff and returned the cup to employees.
Detectives had previously pulled surveillance video and were said to be reviewing it as well. "This disgusting assault on a police officer was carried out by someone with hatred in their heart and who lacks human decency," a statement from the department read. "We hope they are publicly exposed, fired, arrested, and prosecuted for their cowardly and repugnant actions."
The report was also widely met with skepticism, due to the influx of accusations made by various police departments against fast-food workers, which often turn out to be false. Most recently, a group of officers in New York City claimed that workers at a local Shake Shack had poisoned their drinks. NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison shared details on Tuesday of an investigation by the city's Manhattan South department, which determined that "there was no criminality by Shake Shack's employees." They discovered that the issue at fault was cleaning solution not thoroughly wiped off on one of the restaurant's machines.