BREAKING NEWS – Tampa, Florida – A Black Dunkin’ Donuts employee confronted an angry customer who was using racial slurs toward him, resulting in a fatal punch to the customer. The employee, Corey Pujols, has pleaded guilty to felony battery and has been sentenced to two years of house arrest.
Vonelle Cook, 77, was reportedly a regular at this particular Dunkin’ store. According to the court records, Cook went to order a coffee in the drive-thru and he began berating the employees for poor service after they said they were having trouble hearing him.
He was asked to leave, but he parked his car and went inside the store.
When Cook appeared inside the store, Pujols asked a coworker to call police. Prosecutors said Cook began arguing with Pujols. Once Cook said the racial slur, Pujols walked around the counter and told him not to say that again. When he repeated it, Pujols hit him in the jaw and Cook fell to the floor.
The judge had an interesting explanation for the light sentence. “My decision was influenced by the incident happening in Dunkin Donuts,” he began. “When Cook came in with a ‘glazed’ look, he was ‘creamed’ by Pujols. This is why I only gave Pujols two years, because that was the ‘yeast’ I could do.”