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Starbucks barista fired after drawing a pig on deputy's cupplay icon
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Starbucks barista fired after drawing a pig on deputy's cup

Lauren Barry
By Lauren BarryJan 14, 2026
Lauren Barry
Lauren Barry is a Chicago-based news content producer for Audacy’s central news team. She is the host/co-producer of The On Deadline Podcast, as…
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After the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office posted a press release on Instagram about one of its deputies getting a Starbucks cup with a doodle of a pig on it, the barista who give it to him has reportedly been fired.

Here’s what went down.

“The Department is aware and deeply concerned about an incident that occurred at a local coffee shop in the city of Norwalk on Friday, Jan. 9, in which a deputy, who had stopped for coffee, was deliberately served a cup bearing a hand-drawn image of a pig, which is commonly used to demean law enforcement,” said the Instagram post. “This action was extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable. The deputy quickly reported the incident to the store manager, who advised that the matter would be investigated.”

According to FOX40.com, Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said that the pig drawing was based on a meme and it was drawn on the cup hours before the deputy entered the coffee shop. She said it was meant to uplift staff behind the bar and that it was not supposed to be given to a customer.

Still, the deputy who received it left the store feeling uncomfortable.

“It felt discouraging and disrespectful, especially after a long day of serving the community,” the deputy wrote in a private social media post cited by KTLA. “All I wanted was caffeine, but instead I left feeling uneasy.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna escalated the matter after hearing about the incident, the sheriff’s office post added. He “contacted an individual in the coffee company’s corporate security division to formally raise concerns,” and “spoke directly with the deputy to check on his well-being, convey his full support and make it clear that disrespectful actions will not be tolerated against our personnel.”

While the cup was not intended as a jab at the officer, Anderson said the incident was “unacceptable,” and added that the company “reached out to the customer several times and leaders in the Sheriff’s Department to apologize.”

“Our deputies serve this community with professionalism, dedication and commitment, often under difficult and dangerous circumstances,” said the sheriff’s office. “Our deputies are part of the community and deserve to be treated respectfully and with basic human dignity. Acts that promote hostility and division toward law enforcement undermine community trust and public safety.”

As of Wednesday, there were more than 800 comments on the post. While some were supportive of the agency, such as “Respect Your Deputies People. They put their lives on the line for us,” others were more critical.

“This is so incredibly funny,” said one commenter. “Putting out an official press release to announce someone made fun of you, and that you’re a bunch of sensitive babies.”

“Sending out a press release about how your police force is so fragile that they can’t handle a cartoon drawing is an interesting choice,” said another.

KTLA reported that at least two Starbucks employees had been fired after the cup incident. Per the outlet, a Starbucks spokesperson said those involved in the incident “have been separated.”

CBS News also reported that “in a statement to CBS LA, a spokesperson for Starbucks confirmed that the employee who gave the deputy the cup had been fired.”

“We have a deep appreciation and respect for law enforcement, who are dedicated to keeping our communities safe,” Anderson said. She also said that “every customer should feel welcome” at Starbucks stores.

Richard Pippin, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, commented on the incident is well, in a statement posted on Instagram.

“We are disappointed by the recent incident at a local business,” it said. “We hope this is addressed in a way that reflects the respect our LA County community values.”

Last year, Starbucks also faced criticism from its own employees. Audacy reported in September on lawsuits filed over the company’s dress code.

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