Starbucks barista accused of drawing a pig on sheriff’s deputy’s cup

A Starbucks barista drew a pig on a cup and handed it over to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy last week, the office has claimed.

The alleged incident occurred at one of the coffee giant’s locations in the city of Norwalk, just south of downtown Los Angeles, on January 9.

The sheriff’s department later posted the image on social media, saying that the pig “is commonly used to demean law enforcement” and that the drawing was “extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable.”

The deputy in question said that he went to Starbucks during his 16-hour shift to get coffee “after a long day.”

“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,” the deputy lamented in a post on Instagram, according to KTLA.

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The incident is being investigated by the store. L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said his office has also contacted Starbucks' corporate offices “to formally raise concerns and to ensure accountability.”

Sheriff Luna also said that he has consoled the deputy over the incident and told him, “Disrespectful actions will not be tolerated against our personnel.”

A Starbucks statement has called the entire incident “unacceptable.”

“This was unacceptable. We have reached out to the customer several times and leaders in the Sheriff’s Department to apologize. We have a deep appreciation for law enforcement who are dedicated to keeping our communities safe. We immediately launched an investigation and are taking swift action,” a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the drawing is reminiscent of a popular meme but should still have been given to the deputy.

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The meme is popular on TikTok and is known as “John Pork.”

Recently, the meme was an answer on an episode of “Jeopardy!” where host Ken Jennings even said he didn’t know what it meant.

“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,” the LASD said in a statement to The Independent.

“In addition, the Sheriff 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.

“Our deputies serve this community with professionalism, dedication, and commitment, often under difficult and dangerous circumstances.

“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.”