Dunkin’ Worker Takes Elderly Man’s Life Over a Word, Gets Zero Jail Time – This is Why People Are Fatigued
A story is circulating that demands attention because it sheds light on why people are so upset with the current trend of fatigue. Incidents like this have been happening for years, and people are getting fed up. A black Dunkin Donuts driver took the life of an elderly customer, a 77-year-old man, for saying the N word. What’s particularly outrageous is that the man who did this didn’t even go to jail; he served two years of home arrest. This means he got to sit home, play video games, collect unemployment, or whatever he wanted for two years while that man is dead.
The elderly customer, a regular at the Dunkin’ store, reportedly called the employee, Cory Pulos, a “racial slur”, specifically “the power word” or “the N word”. According to police, Pulos, who is listed as the store manager and is 27 years old, asked the man to leave, but he parked his car and went inside, where he began arguing with Pulos. Pulos claimed the man was being extremely rude and called him the power word, the word that supposedly absolves him of all guilt. Pulos told police he asked the man to repeat what he said, and the man did.
Instead of simply telling the man to get out, banning him, or trespassing him – any number of totally normal responses – Pulos demanded the word be repeated, escalating the situation. He then punched the man in the face, which knocked him out. The man hit the back of his head on the concrete floor following the punch. Reports indicate the customer never even touched Pulos. The 77-year-old unconscious victim was taken to the hospital where he passed away. The medical examiner ruled it a homicide, finding the man had a skull fracture and brain contusions as a result of blunt trauma. This 27-year-old, seemingly a hard piping young man, took a man’s life over a word.
Initially, Pulos was arrested on a charge of battery on the night of the altercation. He was released the very next day on just a $2,000 bond, meaning with a bail bondsman, he only paid $200 to get out. That’s what is leading to this fatigue people are talking about. He took a man’s life, got a $2,000 bail where he only paid $200, and was free to go.
Then came the plea deal. Cory Pulos pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of felony battery instead of manslaughter. In exchange, the judge sentenced him to two years house arrest followed by three years probation. He served zero days in prison. The state attorney’s office stated this punishment holds Pulos accountable while also taking into account “the circumstances”.
The judge themselves reportedly said that because this man said a word this other man, a black man, is allowed to take his life. That’s what the judge said. This is why people are fatigued. The judge reinforced Pulos’s behavior by saying “Well think of the circumstances”. The circumstances, according to this judge, is that the victim said a word this man didn’t like, so he’s allowed to take his life. This implies the death penalty is okay if you say a word to a small group of people. The outcome did take into account the victim’s abusive behavior, troublesome criminal history, and prison time, which reportedly made him an unsympathetic victim. So, if you’ve made a mistake in the past and you’re white, apparently, a black guy can take your life if you say the wrong word, and the consequence for that is sitting home for two years playing video games.
Some comments seen online suggest the action was justified. We’ve seen sentiments like “Be careful of what you say” because negative actions beget negative consequences. Some feel sorry for the kid who took a life, hating that the man crossed his path. Others argue that you can’t keep calling people the nword and expecting no repercussions, or that racist white folks have used hateful language for decades, and you can’t be surprised when that energy turns back on you. We feel people should be allowed to say whatever they want. While the victim probably was racist, you still don’t get to take his life.
This is a wild case, and it’s precisely why people are fatigued. There are no consequences. He took a man’s life and never spent a day in jail. The word itself has no power; in my opinion, only the black community keeps giving it power, maybe even on purpose. Many in both the white and black communities now seem to wave off any punishment or accountability for actions after hearing that single word. This does not justify taking a life.
