Florida Dunkin’ Donuts Employee Sentenced for Fatally Punching a Man Who Used a Racial Slur on Him

By Victor Omondi

A Black Dunkin’ Donuts worker from Tampa, Florida, confronted an upset client who was hurling racial obscenities at him, culminating in the customer’s death from a fatal blow. According to CBS News, the employee, Corey Pujols, pleaded guilty to felony violence and received a two-year sentence of home arrest.

77- year-old Vonelle Cook was a frequent visitor to this Dunkin’ Donuts store, according to reports. Cook drove to the drive-thru to get a coffee and began berating the employees for bad service when they complained they couldn’t hear him, revealed court documents acquired by NBC.

Although he was asked to leave, he parked his car and entered the establishment.

When Cook entered the premises, Pujols asked a colleague to contact the cops. Cook allegedly began arguing with Pujols, according to prosecutors. Pujols walked around the counter after Cook shouted the racial epithet and urged him not to say it again. Cook was hit in the jaw by Pujols when he repeated it, and he tumbled to the ground.

He had a skull fracture and cerebral contusions, as per an autopsy.

CBS reports that Cook died three days later due to his injuries. Pujols was charged with manslaughter at first, but prosecutors determined that, given his youth and lack of a criminal background, he had no intention of killing Cook.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, attorney Andrew Warren said that the jury took into account of Cook’s behavior and what he said.

“Two of the primary factors were the aggressive approach the victim took toward the defendant and everyone working with the defendant, and that the victim repeatedly used possibly the most aggressive and offensive term in the English language,” stated Grayson Kamm, a spokesperson for Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.