Chicago Dunkin' Donuts Employee Arrested After State Trooper Finds Saliva In Coffee Cup, Company Apologizes

Illinois police arrested a Dunkin' Donuts employee after a state trooper allegedly found a "large, thick piece of mucus which was later confirmed to be saliva" in the coffee he purchased at one of its outlets in Chicago.

Vincent Sessler was arrested Friday, July 31, on charges of disorderly conduct, reckless conduct and battery to a peace officer. He was taken into custody without an incident.

It all began late Thursday when an Illinois State Police (ISP) trooper bought a large black coffee from a Dunkin’ Donuts outlet located on Archer Avenue in Chicago. He removed the lid of his to-go cup to cool it down and observed mucus and saliva floating inside his coffee cup, Illinois State Police said in a release.

The ISP immediately began an investigation into the incident and a couple of hours later the 25-year-old was taken into custody.

The motive behind the action was unclear. However, the incident comes during a time when law enforcement is under heavy scrutiny over the racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

"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 organization.

"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 to NBC 5. "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 is an ongoing investigation. Sessler currently remains in custody at the Chicago Police Department’s 8th District.