Vincent Sessler Chicago Dunkin’ employee arrested after Illinois State trooper finds spit mucus in his coffee. Garfield Ridge location will no longer be patronized by cops.
Not again? A Dunkin’ Donuts employee in Chicago was arrested last week after a trooper found ‘a large, thick piece of mucus’ floating inside his cup of black coffee, Illinois State Police said.
An Illinois State Police District Chicago trooper purchased a large cup of black coffee from the Dunkin’ Donuts shop at 6738 West Archer Avenue, Garfield Ridge location around 10:20 p.m. Thursday night. It was only because the coffee was ‘extremely hot,’ the trooper avoided drinking what lay in wait, as he removed the lid to cool it down — only to observe ‘a large, thick piece of mucus, which was later confirmed to be saliva, floating inside it,’ Illinois State Police said in a press release.
Vincent J. Sessler, 25, of Chicago, working at the fast food outlet at the time of the incident, was arrested before 1 p.m. on Friday. He was charged with disorderly conduct, reckless conduct, and battery to a peace officer. He remained in custody at the Chicago Police Department 8th District as of Saturday.
‘This is outrageous and disgusting. The men and women of the Illinois State Police put their heart and soul into protecting the lives and rights of all people in this state every day,’ ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly said in a statement. ‘They deserve better than this insulting and dangerous treatment. For their safety, ISP officers and employees will be prohibited from patronizing this location.’
Sessler has since been fired from the coffee and donut shop location.
‘The type of behavior reported to us is inconsistent with the brand’s values. The franchise owner who independently owns and operates this restaurant informs us that he took immediate action to investigate the matter and terminated the individual responsible for this reprehensible behavior,’ Dunkin’ Donuts said in a statement to WMAQ-TV. ‘Dunkin’ has a deep appreciation for police officers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, and the franchise owner has reached out directly to the officer to apologize for the experience.’
For their safety, state troopers will no longer be patronizing that Dunkin’ Donuts.
The incident follows a Starbucks NJ worker similarly being arrested spitting in cops’ coffee at a Park Ridge location on the 21st of July. Kevin Trejo of Westwood Starbucks was also fired.
The spate of ‘disorderly’ incidents comes as law enforcement remains under heavy scrutiny amid a national reckoning on racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Police have been injured and killed in the civil unrest while some agencies also have been criticized for their harsh responses to peaceful demonstrations in some instances.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Dunkin’ Brands Inc. said Thursday it expects to close up to 800 underperforming U.S. stores this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Canton, Mass.-based company had previously announced the closure of 450 stores within Speedway gas stations.
