Starbucks fires employee who gave officer cup with 'PIG' printed on the label, company says

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The Starbucks employee who gave an Oklahoma police officer cups of coffee with the word "PIG" printed on the label has been fired, the company said in a statement Friday.

The Kiefer police officer went to the Starbucks in Glenpool on Thanksgiving day to pick up five drinks, CNN affiliate KTUL reported. Kiefer Chief Johnny O'Mara told the news station a customer pointed out the label on the cups to the officer.

"What irks me is the absolute and total disrespect for a police officer who, instead of being home with family and enjoying a meal and a football game, is patrolling his little town," O'Mara wrote in a Facebook post, where he shared a picture of a cup with the "PIG" label on it.

The coffee company called the incident "absolutely unacceptable" and said it is "deeply sorry to the law enforcement officer who experienced this."

"The Starbucks partner who wrote this offensive word on a cup used poor judgement and is no longer a partner after this violation of company policy," the statement read. "This language is offensive to all law enforcement and is not representative of the deep appreciation we have for police officers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe."

In a joint statement, Starbucks and Kiefer police said they're using the incident "as an opportunity to leverage our shared platforms to promote greater civility."

The company will meet with Kiefer police to discuss ways to work together, including by jointly hosting a Coffee with a Cop event at Starbucks for local law enforcement to meet with baristas and community members to discuss "the critical role dispatchers and police offers play in keeping our communities safe," the joint statement said.

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