From the New York Post: A Los Angeles deputy sheriff’s 16-hour shift quickly turned into a disrespectful spectacle when a Starbucks barista served him coffee in a cup featuring a hand-drawn image of a pig.
The incident was slammed as deeply concerning and demeaning to law enforcement by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department in a statement.
“This action was extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable,” the statement read. “Disrespectful actions will not be tolerated against our personnel.”
The term “pig” has long been used as derogatory slang for police officers, dating back decades as an insult meant to portray law enforcement as corrupt, abusive or oppressive. It’s widely considered offensive within policing circles and is often associated with anti-police sentiment or protest rhetoric.
The sheriff’s statement added, “Upon learning about this incident from the employee, the Sheriff immediately escalated the matter and contacted an individual in the coffee company’s corporate security division to formally raise concerns and to ensure accountability. In addition, the Sheriff spoke directly with the deputy to check on his well-being, conveying his full support, and make it clear that disrespectful actions will not be tolerated against our personnel.”
KTLA reported that the deputy who was targeted by the Starbucks employee had written on his private Instagram account, “It felt discouraging and disrespectful, especially after a long day of serving the community. All I wanted was caffeine, but instead I left feeling uneasy.”
In a statement posted on social media, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said “disrespectful actions will not tolerated against our personnel,” and that he had contacted Starbucks’ corporate security division. Full Story: https://t.co/anUZbkboJS pic.twitter.com/pI0y3bttgM
— KTLA (@KTLA) January 12, 2026
UPDATE: The Starbucks staffer who drew the image has now been fired.
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