Posted on 03/14/2011 12:01:04 PM PDT by jakerobins
A Missouri family is suing Starbucks after a patron was killed while trying to prevent a tip jar robbery.
Roger Kreutz was ordering coffee from a Crestwood Starbucks on March 3, 2008, when suddenly a 19-year-old thief snatched the barista tip jar from the counter, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Kreutz chased the man, later identified as Aaron Poisson, out of the coffee shop and the two had a physical altercation near the thief's car. Kreutz was thrown to the ground after Poisson, in his rush to escape, hit him with his car, the Dispatch reported.
Kreutz later died from head injuries related to the incident.
Poiisson, of Cumming, Ga., was later arrested in St. Louis, and eventually pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to one year in prison, the paper reported.
Now, Kreutz' family has filed a wrongful-death suit against the coffee giant, blaming Starbucks for inviting criminal activity by leaving tip jars near customers.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
“Poisson, in his rush to escape, hit him with his car”
excusing murder. nasty.
So what exactly is the lesson to be learned here?
This is just wrong....
blaming Starbucks for inviting criminal activity by leaving tip jars near customersIf Definitely deserves a Darwin Award for giving his life to save a Starbucks tip jar.
Oh, go ahead — sue the car manufacturer too, for good measure.
What the hell does starbucks have to do with any of this?
Except that it’s where the people happened to be standing before it all happend?
Starbucks should counter-sue for court expenses
Starbucks has insurance ~ which the family is after. At the same time this wasn’t involuntary manslaughter ~ this was MURDER during the conduct of a felony. This called for the death penalty. Who is that prosecutor?
Insulting to the 99+% of us who don't steal.
If somebody tries to steal the tip jar, don't chase him out to his car; just pull out your conceal carry handgun and shoot the punk.
I don’t get it, except for the “deep pockets” lawyer/bottom-feeder approach. What is Starbucks accused of doing/not doing to make it liable?
I think this is a lefty wet dream. This gives them the perfect reason to go after corporate giants like Starbucks who, in their estimation, don’t pay their workers enough, hence the tip jar. Since Starbucks had knowledge of these tip jars, they will pay big time, if they don’t settle.
Until the LOOSING LAWYERS are responsible for court expenses, frivolous suits will continue.
Roger Kreutz sounded like a good guy. His family, not so much.
A tip jar in the walk in freezer would be a lot safer, but somehow less effective.
“Definitely deserves a Darwin Award for giving his life to save a Starbucks tip jar”
“Starbucks” does not get the tips. Employees, PEOPLE, get the tips.
If you think that someone trying to stop CRIME deserves a Darwin award then YOU need to change your screen name to “SamTheApatheticWimp”.
(yea, I know, I should not be doing ad hominem attacks)
I have to admit...although I would try to help someone in need I wouldn’t risk injury or worse for a tip jar with a lousy few bucks in it...I might just give them the extra $5 to be a good samaritan.
This is ridiculous. Starbucks has zero responsibility (financially) to this unfortunate patron’s family. The responsible party is in jail.
I agree——loser pays would stop a lot of this nonsense.
They would not want me on the jury. How exactly is Starbucks responsible for his actions? Tip jars are a part of our culture, and nobody required him to chase the perp.
Reminds me of when I hit the mexican guy with my car. It was sad, but it was his responsibility, not mine. And courts of law are interested in who is responsible, not who has the biggest pockets. The latter is pure wealth redistribution.
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