A Chicago Dunkin’ Donuts employee was busted after a police officer took the lid off his coffee and made a troubling discovery in his cup.
Vincent Sessler, a 25-year-old Dunkin’ Donuts employee, was arrested after he decided to add a little something extra to a state trooper’s cup of coffee. Sessler likely hoped the cop would drink the contaminated beverage without even noticing what he had done, but thankfully, the officer removed the lid and took a closer look first. However, that doesn’t make it any less disturbing or disgusting.
The unnamed Illinois State Trooper had stopped at a Garfield Ridge neighborhood Dunkin’ Donuts coffee shop on Chicago’s Southwest Side at 10:20 pm on a Thursday night. Needing a little pick-me-up, the police officer purchased a large black coffee, according to local CBS affiliate WBBM-TV, but he definitely got more than he had ordered when he was served by Sessler.
Because the coffee was extremely hot, the officer decided to take the lid off of it to let it cool down, and it’s a good thing he did because that’s when the trooper noticed what looked like a gob of spit floating on top. The “large, thick piece of mucus” was later confirmed to be saliva, the police said, according to the New York Post.
“Due to the coffee being extremely hot, the Trooper removed the lid from the top of the cup of coffee in order to cool it down,” state police said. “The Trooper observed a large, thick piece of mucus which was later confirmed to be saliva, floating inside it.”
Following an investigation, it was pretty evident that Vincent Sessler had hocked a loogie into the officer’s coffee. Sessler was arrested the next day and charged with disorderly conduct, reckless conduct, and battery to a peace officer. In addition, local troopers have decided that, for their safety, they will no longer patronize that particular Dunkin’ Donuts location. And, who could blame them?
“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.”
Sadly, incidents like this one are becoming increasingly common with police officers across the country complaining about food tampering as an anti-police mentality grows. In one such case just months prior to this one, an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer claimed he found a tampon in a drink he bought at a Target Starbucks, but Target said it reviewed security video and did not find anything suspicious.
In this case, the company appears to be siding with the cops. According to a statement from Dunkin’ to NBC News, the franchise owner wasted no time firing Sessler and condemning his behavior. “The type of behavior reported to us is inconsistent with the brand’s values,” a spokesperson said. “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.”
This isn’t just disturbing and disgusting, it’s cowardly. Spitting in someone’s drink isn’t a form of protest, it’s a passive-aggressive, immature move that shows the depravity of the individual responsible. Targeting someone simply because of their profession is about as ignorant as it gets. Just like anyone else who’s working a long shift, police officers should be able to stop for a cup of coffee without having to worry whether the person behind the counter will be malicious with their order. They have plenty of other reasons to be wary when on the job — placing an order at a coffee shop or restaurant shouldn’t be added to the list.
