A former Dunkin’ employee was arrested last week after an officer found “a large, thick piece of mucus” inside his cup of coffee.
“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,” Illinois State Police director Brendan 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.”
The incident unfolded last Thursday when an Illinois State Police District Chicago trooper purchased a cup of black coffee and removed its lid to cool it down. He then found “a large, thick piece of mucus, which was later confirmed to be saliva, floating inside it,” Illinois State Police said.
ILLINOIS STATE POLICE MAKE AN ARREST FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT, RECKLESS CONDUCT, AND BATTERY TO A PEACE OFFICER#ILTraffic #TrafficAlert #Chicago #Illinois #ChiTraffic pic.twitter.com/uEBCgRkaOg
— IllinoisStatePolice (@ILStatePolice) August 1, 2020
Vincent J. Sessler, 25, was working at the coffee chain when the spitting allegedly occurred and was arrested last Friday. He was charged with disorderly conduct, reckless conduct, and battery of a peace officer. He has also been fired from his position at Dunkin.’
“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’ said in a statement. “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.”
Anti-police sentiment has been on the rise in recent weeks, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day. Protests and riots against police brutality have hit major cities across the country, and calls to defund police departments have gained traction in certain cities.
In New Jersey, a former Starbucks employee was arrested and charged for allegedly spitting in a police officer’s cup of coffee.
Kevin Trejo, 21, was arrested and charged in July with subjecting a law enforcement officer to bodily fluid, purposely tampering with a law enforcement officer’s drink, and creating a hazardous environment.
“It’s just unnerving that we could go into a place, try to grab a cup of coffee, and have to deal with that when we’re trying to, you know, just grab a break,” Park Ridge Police Department Lt. James Babcock said on Fox News following the incident.
“So a lot of our guys are obviously upset, rightfully so. But, we are, you know, we have to, you know, fight through this. We have to be strong. And we have to still serve our community,” he added.
