Doughnut shop worker who fatally punched elderly customer over racial slur sentenced to two years of house arrest

Doughnut Shop Worker’s Reaction to Racial Slur Turned FATAL

A 27 year old doughnut shop employee who fatally punched a 77 year old customer over a racial slur has been sentenced to two years of house arrest.

Investigators said that the elderly customer, Vonelle Cook, went through a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through in Tampa, Florida, on May 5, 2021, and was angry about the lack of service.

Employees made sure to note that Cook was a regular customer and was “regularly troublesome and abusive,” WTVT-TV reported, citing a state attorney’s office press release.

Cook then parked his car and walked into the restaurant, and became aggressive and verbally abusive toward the employees — including 27 year old Corey Pujols, according to prosecutors.

When Pujols — who is black — asked the abusive customer to leave, Cook called him the N-word.

Pujols reportedly told Cook not to call him the racial slur again, but the man ignored the warning and repeated the slur.

After his second use of the N-word, Pujols punched Cook in the jaw. The punch knocked Cook out and caused him fall and hit his head on the floor.

Tampa Fire Rescue responded to the scene and took Cook to a hospital, where he died from his injuries three days later. An autopsy revealed that he suffered a skull fracture and brain contusions from the fall.

Pujols was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of an elderly adult. But prosecutors later made a deal with him, allowing Pujols to plead guilty to a lesser charge of felony battery in exchange for a more lenient sentence.

Along with two years of house arrest, the judge sentenced the former Dunkin’ Donuts employee to complete 200 hours of community service and to take an anger management course.

“This outcome holds the defendant accountable while taking into account 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,” Grayson Kamm, spokesperson for the Hillsborough state attorney’s office, told WTVT in a statement.

Prosecutors also noted Cook’s “very troublesome criminal history” and prison time — court records show that he is a registered sex offender — which they say made him an “unsympathetic victim,” WTVT reported.

Darrin Johnson, an attorney for Pujols, declined to comment after the hearing, the news outlet said.

Below is a WTVT report that aired after Cook’s death:

 

Source: The Blaze

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