Bay Area coffee shop won't serve police for 'safety of customers'

A customer arrives at Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, March 9, 2018. Owners of the cafe on Fruitvale Avenue are refusing service to uniformed police officers. A customer arrives at Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, March 9, 2018. Owners of the cafe on Fruitvale Avenue are refusing service to uniformed police officers. Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Bay Area coffee shop won't serve police for 'safety of customers' 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

A coffee shop in Oakland is refusing to serve law enforcement officers for the "physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves," according to the shop's social media.

Hasta Muerte Coffee, an employee-owned co-op, will not serve officers in uniform and turned away an officer a few weeks ago, as reported by NBC Bay Area.

The sergeant who was turned away from the shop a few weeks ago said he was surprised by employees refusing to serve him, but walked out without any incident or any coffee.

Coffee shop workers did not respond to requests for comment on the policy, but a post on their Instagram account showed a photo with writing in Spanish that says, "Talk to your neighbors, not the police."

The writing below the photo describes an exchange with a uniformed police officer on Feb. 16, and the post clearly states: "We have a policy of asking police to leave for the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves."

The post includes another picture of Facebook posts in which people object to the shop's policy because they refused to serve a sergeant in uniform who is also the president of the Latino Police Officers Association of Alameda County. On top of the posts, the shop wrote the words, "Not my president."

Below the pictures, the post goes on to say:

"OPDs recent attempts to enlist officers of color and its short term touting of fewer officer involved shootings does not reverse or mend its history of corruption, mismanagement, and scandal, nor a legacy of blatant repression. The facts are that poc (people of color), women, and queer police are complicit in upholding the same law and order that routinely criminalizes and terrorizes black and brown and poor folks, especially youth, trans, and houseless folks. For these reasons and so many more, we need the support of the actual community to keep this place safe, not police. "

The sergeant who was turned away said he's looking forward to talking with the owners to hopefully build a better relationship with them and the rest of the community, NBC Bay Area reported.

The Oakland Police Officers Association sent the shop a letter asking to open a dialogue about its policy.