Starbucks fired workers who fought back during armed robbery attempt
Two Starbucks workers were fired weeks after tackling a robbery suspect in Midtown St. Louis, after a fake gun cracked and revealed the threat was not what it seemed.
Starbucks fired two workers after they fought back during an armed robbery attempt at a Midtown St. Louis store, setting off a fight over whether the company’s safety rules protect employees or punish them for trying to survive. Michael Harris and Devin Jones-Ransom lost their jobs in January 2024, weeks after the Dec. 17 robbery attempt at 212 South Grand Blvd., and Harris later filed suit claiming wrongful termination.
Harris said he was working the drive-thru when two men entered the store, announced a robbery, frisked customers and demanded cash. One of the men hit Harris on the head with what appeared to be a gun, and Harris said he feared he was "about to get shot." When a robber struck a patron over the head with the weapon, it cracked, and the workers realized it was fake. Harris and a co-worker then restrained one suspect until police arrived; the other fled.
Police identified the suspects as Joshua Noe, 37, of Potosi, Missouri, and Marquise Porter-Doyle, 35, of St. Louis. Prosecutors charged them with a combined 21 felonies in the attempted robbery case. The violent details, especially the fake gun, made the episode more chilling for workers who say they were trying to protect both customers and themselves in a matter of seconds.
Starbucks said it was "deeply disturbed" by the incident and said partner safety was its top concern, but it also said employees are expected to follow "carefully crafted protocols" that call for compliance and de-escalation instead of confrontation. The company said robbery training is given at hire and then annually. Labor attorney Sarah Swatosh said many retailers avoid chase or confrontation policies because "the work comp risk is too high" and injuries are too high, while Eric Banks said the case reflected badly on Starbucks leadership and its public relations response.
The firing has become part of a broader debate over what safety policy means behind the counter, where workers often have only seconds to decide whether a threat is real and whether compliance will be enough. The National Retail Federation said violence has no place in retail and emphasized de-escalation training and cooperation with law enforcement. The Starbucks case also echoes a 2023 controversy at Lululemon, when two Atlanta-area employees said they were fired after confronting thieves, a reminder that workers are still being asked to weigh corporate policy against basic self-preservation in real time.
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