A Vancouver coffee shop said it will be offering a safe space to anyone who feels threatened following a stalking incident that went viral last week.
“If you are ever in our area and feel like you are being followed or feel unsafe, you are welcome to duck into our space and just hang out,” Harken Coffee, located at 338 Powell Street, said in social media post Sunday (March 21).
“If you are followed in, or if you feel unsafe but can’t vocalize it because the person you fear is there with you, all you need to do is order a ‘Non-fat Americano’ (which is a drink that doesn’t exist, so there is no charge for it), and our staff will know what it means.”
The coffee shop’s post stems from a stalking incident that went viral on social media. Jamie Coutts filmed a man following her around for more than 30 minutes and refusing to speak or leave her alone. Vancouver police arrested a person of interest in the case on Friday but Coutts said in a social media post that she did not believe this was the right person.
Harken Coffee said that they could contact police or a women’s shelter, or let a person feeling threatened escape through the back door, or wait there until someone can come and pick them up.
In an email, Vancouver police told Black Press Media they couldn’t comment on specifics but that they were continuing their investigation.
READ MORE: Woman who filmed man following her in Vancouver says police arrested wrong person
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