St. Louis, Mo. — June 28, 2026 Two Starbucks employees who risked their lives to stop an armed robbery at a St. Louis store, subduing the suspects and helping send both robbers to prison, were fired weeks later for violating company policy by fighting back instead of simply complying.
Shocking new surveillance video obtained by local media shows the terrifying December 2023 incident unfold in real time at the Starbucks location near Saint Louis University.
The video captures the moment two masked men stormed the store on a Sunday afternoon. One robber points what appears to be a gun and demands money. A female employee is shoved to the ground. Michael Harris, working the drive-thru, tries to open the register to end the threat quickly. Instead, he is pistol-whipped in the back of the head.
Harris later described the moment: “After that point, my vision went black. I was like, ‘I’m about to get shot.’ It was definitely a life-or-death situation in my eyes.”
His coworker, Devin Jones-Ransom, makes a split-second decision. He tackles the gunman, slamming him into the drive-thru window. The weapon breaks on impact, the trigger falls off, revealing it was fake. Harris and Jones-Ransom then overpower the robbers, pummeling one suspect in the dining area until police arrive.
One robber, Joshua Noe, is left bloodied with cuts and scrapes. His accomplice, Marquis Porter-Doyle, flees but is later arrested. Both men were convicted of robbery and are now serving prison sentences — thanks in large part to the actions of Harris and Jones-Ransom.
Despite their heroism, Starbucks terminated both employees weeks after the incident, once media attention had died down. The company cited a violation of its policy that instructs workers to comply with robbers’ demands and avoid any actions that could escalate the situation.
Harris received the call from corporate: “They said, ‘This is Starbucks. We are terminating you, effective immediately.’” He said he was surprised, distraught, and confused.
Starbucks defended its decision in a statement, saying its training emphasizes “de-escalation” and “complying with demands” to reduce risk in volatile situations. The company expressed being “deeply disturbed” by the incident but stressed adherence to protocols.
The employees’ attorney, Ryan Krupp, pushed back hard. “You have the right to self-preservation. You have the right to make sure that you and your family are not physically harmed — full stop,” Krupp said. “All it’s going to do is dissuade people potentially from protecting their own lives when they may need it the most. And that is not a world that we can live in.”
Harris and Jones-Ransom have filed a lawsuit against Starbucks alleging wrongful termination. The case remains active, with recent court developments including the dismissal of some company challenges.
The newly released video has reignited outrage online, with many calling the firings outrageous and arguing that punishing workers for defending themselves and customers only emboldens criminals.
Harris had previously noted the store had faced ongoing issues with unruly and aggressive customers in the months leading up to the robbery.
In a nation where violent crime remains a top concern for many Americans, this case raises serious questions about corporate policies that appear to prioritize liability protection over the basic right of employees to defend their own lives. The two young men who stood up when it mattered most are now out of a job, while the robbers who terrorized the store sit behind bars.
Watch the surveillance footage for yourself and decide: Did these employees deserve to be fired for fighting back?
