BOCA POLICE 911 CALL: WITNESS FEARED FOR CHILD IN CAR

LISTEN: WITNESS BELIEVED CHILD IN DANGER AS MAN POUNDED ON CADILLAC WITH WOMAN INSIDE…

TWO OFFICERS SUBJECT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS… COP PULLS PREGNANT WOMAN FROM CAR, BUT 911 CALL PROVIDES CONTEXT…

BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher

BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The 911 caller who alerted police to a man and woman arguing in the parking lot of a Mobil gas station on Congress Avenue feared for the child he saw in the couple’s Cadillac. The 911 caller told a dispatcher that he saw the man pounding on the hood of the Cadillac being driven by the woman.

When Boca Raton Police arrived on scene, the man and woman — both black — refused to provide identification to the officers, all white. The situation quickly escalated. While a child cried in the car, the woman was eventually pulled from the driver’s seat by a Boca Raton police officer as the man left on foot — despite demands from police for him to stay. He came back minutes later. Both the man woman were arrested. Nerillia Laurent was charged with resisting arrest. Harry Hardy was charged with battery on an officer.

The couple contacted local media after the May 22nd incident, saying Boca Raton police acted inappropriately. But the body cam video — that we first published on Monday — shows the couple refusing police instruction. While a white officer is heard telling the black man and woman that they are “in MY city, the City of Boca Raton,” the 911 call now provides new context for why police aggressively attempted to control the scene. They feared a child was in danger.

The following is a partial transcript of the 911 call. You can listen to the call, in its entirety, below. We note the transcript is computer generated.

911 TRANSCRIPT

“911 What’s the emergency? Yeah, hi. I just wanted to report that there’s a guy keeping a woman from leaving the Mobil gas station on Congress Avenue. The address is at 81 Congress Avenue. And they’re what looks to be like a two or three year old little boy who’s involved with the situation and outside of the car. What are they white or black? Black, like is he restraining her or what is he doing exactly?

The car is parked at the exit to the mobile and he’s refusing to let the car leave. But he’s allowing the two or three year old to just run circles around the car next to the, you know, busy road. He’s pounded his hands on the hood a couple of times. You know, it looks like he’s yelling at her through the windshield. But it’s more of a kid I’m worried about. You know what I mean? They’re adults. They can handle their own things.

It’s a Black looks like a four door Nissan maybe. Or no, it’s a Cadillac. So it’s a four door Cadillac SUV black.

And you want to meet sir anonymous, anonymous police and what are they doing now? Still the same thing. Oh, they’re still just yelling at each other through the windshields. About what’s that? Any weapons seen on him?

No, no, no weapons. It’s more just a child. I’m worried about I hear. Yeah, I’m just gonna stay on the phone with you. Okay. Yeah. No worries. You let me know. Yeah, I’ll let you know if anything happens right now. They’re still in the they’ve been in the same spot for about six or seven minutes now. Gotcha.

But they’re still just kind of like having an argument through the through the windshield. Just keep me updated. Okay, sir. Yeah, yeah, they’re still running the same pattern. They were. He he just walked around to see if he could talk to her through the driver’s side window, but she won’t roll it down. So he’s walking back to the front of the car running. I’m sorry.”

The officers involved are now the subject of a Boca Raton Police professional standards review, however, the officers remain on active street duty. Harry Hardy is free on bond and will return to court in late June. Laurent plead guilty to resisting arrest and was immediately sentenced to one day in jail.

Andrew Colton hosts “South Florida’s First News” on NewsRadio 610 WIOD. Listen live weekdays, 6-10 a.m. Simulcast on 105.9HD2, and in the iHeart Radio app.