Florida Dunkin’ worker Corey Pujols who fatally punched buyer Vonelle Cook dinner over racial slur sentenced to deal with arrest

A Dunkin’ worker in Tampa, Florida, accused of fatally punching a buyer who used a racial slur in opposition to him final yr, was sentenced to 2 years of home arrest after pleading responsible to felony battery.

Corey Pujols, 27, was ordered by a Tampa decide on Monday to finish 200 hours of group service and attend an anger administration course.

Tampa police mentioned the incident occurred round 1:30 p.m. Might 4 on the Dunkin’ location at 410 S. fiftieth Road.

In accordance with court docket information, the shopper, Vonelle Cook dinner, 77, who was white, had gone by way of the drive-thru to order espresso and was offended over the dearth of service. Whereas within the drive-thru, Dunkin’ staff had bother listening to him, and he began to yell at them about poor service.

Staff instructed Cook dinner, an everyday on the institution, to go away, however he parked his automotive, walked inside, and was aggressive and verbally abusive towards staff, prosecutors mentioned. 

Pujols requested a co-worker to name the police, resulting in an argument between him and Cook dinner, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported. 

When Pujols, who’s black, requested Cook dinner to go away, police mentioned Cook dinner known as him a racial slur. 

Pujols then walked across the counter and requested Cook dinner to not name him that slur once more, however when Cook dinner did, Pujols punched him within the jaw, in response to the station. 

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

An post-mortem confirmed that he suffered a cranium fracture and mind contusions.

Pujols had initially been charged with aggravated manslaughter following the incident. Prosecutors accepted a plea deal from Pujols, who agreed to plead responsible to the lesser cost of felony battery, in response to FOX 13. 

Grayson Kamm, a spokesman for Hillsborough State Lawyer Andrew Warren, mentioned prosecutors, of their resolution, thought-about the “totality of the circumstances,” which included Pujols’ lack of prison historical past, his youth, and the truth that he didn’t intend to trigger Cook dinner’s loss of life, the Tampa Bay Instances reported.

“Two of the first elements have been the aggressive strategy the sufferer took towards the defendant and everybody working with the defendant, and that the sufferer repeatedly used presumably essentially the most aggressive and offensive time period within the English language,” Kamm mentioned.

Cook dinner was a registered intercourse offender, court docket information present.