A Dunkin’ employee in Tampa, Florida, accused of fatally punching a customer who used a racial slur against him last year, was sentenced to two years of house arrest after pleading guilty to felony battery.

Corey Pujols, 27, was ordered by a Tampa judge on Monday to complete 200 hours of community service and attend an anger management course.

According to court records, the customer, Vonelle Cook, 77, who was white, had gone through the drive-thru to order coffee and was angry over the lack of service. While in the drive-thru, Dunkin’ employees had trouble hearing him, and he started to yell at them about poor service.

Employees told Cook, a regular at the establishment, to leave, but he parked his car, walked inside, and was aggressive and verbally abusive toward employees, prosecutors said. 

When Pujols, who is black, asked Cook to leave, police said Cook called him a racial slur.  Pujols then walked around the counter and asked Cook not to call him that slur again, but when Cook did, Pujols punched him in the jaw, according to the station. 

Cook fell and hit his head on the floor. He was taken to the hospital, where he died three days later. 

Grayson Kamm, a spokesman for Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, said prosecutors, in their decision, considered the “totality of the circumstances,” which included Pujols’ lack of criminal history, his youth, and the fact that he did not intend to cause Cook’s death, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

“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,” Kamm said.

Cook was a registered sex offender, court records show.

I agree with the plea deal. The old white racist was aggressive with employees. He was asked to leave, the racist thought it was a good idea to continue be aggressive and call the black guy a racial slur.

The black guy kept his cool and asked not to be called the slur again. The racist decided to call him the slur again while being aggressive. Old racist was punched in the jaw, fell and hit his head. The racist brought his death upon himself with his actions. If he did not use any racial slurs he would not have been punched. When you act aggressive towards someone and call them a racial slur. The likely income is that you’ll get punched.

I’m glad to see a prosecutors’ office with some common sense.

Shalom

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