A Massachusetts man has been charged after he threw hot coffee at a fellow Dunkin’ Donuts customer who was not wearing a face mask. The suspect, 23-year-old Boston resident Dion Millsap, attacked Matteo Sellitto, 56, of Brockton, who was standing behind him in line in a Brookline, Massachusetts Dunkin’ Donuts, after he noticed the older man was not complying with the indoor mask mandate.
The incident occurred Thursday morning around 8:30. “The suspect and the victim got into a verbal exchange regarding the victim not wearing a mask inside of the store,” Brookline police said in a statement. Brookline requires anyone in an indoor public space to wear a face mask. The Dunkin’ Donuts location displayed a sign asking customers to wear one as well.
According to court documents, he hit the back of the lower legs of a 56-year-old man from Brockton who turned around and realized Millsap had just thrown one of his hot coffee cups at him.
It happened at this Dunkin donuts on Harvard street around 8:30 Thursday morning after police say he noticed the 56-year-old man next to him in line was not wearing a mask. Prosecutors say the victim put a shirt over his face to try and de-escalate the situation but it didn’t work as the two started going back-and-forth.
“To me, it seems like this is a disorderly conduct case that has been blown way out of proportion,” said defense attorney Ian Henchy. “Disorderly conduct at best. The assault with a dangerous weapon charge, that was sort of out of control.”
Millsap’s defense attorney says he’s unemployed and homeless and was just getting back on his feet “He was planning on starting a new job today,” said Henchy. “This is not what he was planning on doing. Being brought to lock up and being arraigned in front of the media was not how he planned for this day to go. He does have a five-year-old son and that was his main concern when I was talking to him saying he had to get out of here and go pick up his kid.”
