Tempe officers allegedly asked to move or leave by Starbucks employee meet with coffee chain rep

TEMPE, Ariz. (FOX 10) -- The President of the Tempe Officers Association said Monday that the six Tempe Police officers who were asked to move or leave a Starbucks store in Tempe have met with the East Valley city's police chief and Starbuck's leadership.

In a statement, Rob Ferraro said the meeting went very well, with representatives of the coffee chain again sincerely apologizing for the incident. The officers involved were then given the opportunity to express their concerns over what happened.

"They came away from the meeting feeling heard and respected," read a portion of the statement.

The incident unfolded on July 4 at a Starbucks location near McKellips and Scottsdale Roads, because a customer reportedly felt unsafe. According to TOA officials, a group of five Tempe officers had just bought their drinks and stood near the front of the store when a barista made the request for the customer. According to earlier reports, the officers were asked to leave, but on July 5, a post made by TOA officials on its verified Facebook page read the officers were asked to either move out of the customer's line of sight, or leave.

On its unverified Twitter page, officials with TOA posted a "Dump Starbucks" graphic on Friday. Starbucks officials subsequently apologized.

"While this situation may have started steeped in negativity, we remain determined to turn it into a positive moment for one and all," read the statement.