A Florida Dunkin’ Donuts employee pleaded guilty to felony battery after being accused of fatally punching a customer for using a racial slur against him. He was also sentenced to two years of house arrest.
On Monday, a Tampa judge ordered Corey Pujols, 27, to complete 200 hours of community service and attend an anger management course, CBS News reported.
The incident occurred in Tampa, Florida, last May when the customer, Vonelle Cook, initially complained about the customer service in the drive-thru, police said. While Cook was told to leave, he parked his vehicle and entered the store. He became erratic and started yelling at employees, including Pujols, News Onyx reported.
Police said Pujols and Cook started arguing, and the 77-year-old called him a racial slur twice. Though the man was a regular customer, the criminal report affidavit indicated that Cook called Pujols the n-word. After the 27-year-old warned Cook not to repeat the slur, he did, and Pujols punched him in the jaw.
Cook was knocked unconscious after falling and hitting his head on the cement floor. He started bleeding from his head and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he suffered a skull fracture and contusions on the brain. Cook died three days later after succumbing to his injuries, police said.
Pujols was initially charged with manslaughter.
The defendant was offered a plea deal for a lesser charge after prosecutors reviewed the circumstances that led to the fatal altercation.
“This outcome holds the defendant accountable while considering the totality of the circumstances—the aggressive approach and despicable racial slur used by the victim, along with the defendant’s age, lack of criminal record, and lack of intent to cause the victim’s death,” said Grayson Kamm, a spokesman for Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren.
Pujols’ attorney, Darren Johnson, declined to comment after Monday’s hearing.
Court records also stated that Cook was a registered sex offender.
