Corey Pujols, 27, was accused of fatally punching a customer as he worked as an employee of Dunkin Donuts last year. The customer was said to have used a racial slur against him.
On Monday, a judge in Tampa, Florida, sentenced him to two years of house arrest, 200 hours of community service, and enroll in anger management classes. This came after Pujols pleaded guilty to felony battery.
On May 4, a White male, Vonelle Cook, 77, had ordered a coffee through the drive-thru. He then became upset over the service he was receiving after employees couldn’t hear his order clearly.
Cook, who was a regular patron, was told to leave. However, he parked his vehicle, entered the establishment, and began to verbally abuse the workers.
When Pujols requested that a colleague call authorities, Pujols and Cook had a disagreement. Cook then called him a racial slur.
Pujols walked over to Cook and instructed him not to call him that again. However, when Cook called him the racial slur again, Pujols punched him in the face.
Cook fell to the floor, hitting his head. He died three days after that in a hospital.
The state attorney gave a reason for their decision in imposing Pujols’ punishment.
“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.”
