Lesbian couple claim they were arrested for kissing in public (VIDEO)
The couple allege a police officer arrested them while on holiday for a ‘public display of affection’.
Courtney Wilson, 25, and Taylor Guerrero, 21, were holidaying in Hawaii, when the incident took place.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this week, they say Officer Bobby Harrison harassed and arrested them on in March for public displays of affection.
The Honolulu Police Department later confirmed that it is opening an internal investigation after the lawsuit was filed in court by the couple – who said they were arrested for simply kissing in a grocery store.
The lawsuit says the officer was shopping at the store in uniform, when he saw the couple walking through the aisles holding hands, hugging, and kissing.
It alleges that “in a loud voice, he ordered plaintiffs to stop and ‘take it somewhere else.’”
“He was like you girls, you girls can’t do that in here,” Ms Guerrero said.
The women say they continued to shop regardless, but when Harrison saw them he threatened to have them thrown out of the store.
As the women were attempting to check out, Harrison approached the couple a third time – and when Ms Wilson tried to call 911, the officer grabbed her arm.
The lawsuit says both women were then thrown to the ground by Harrison.
“I got punched in the face by him. I split my nose open. We were on the ground,” Wilson told Hawaii News Now.
“She then kicked the police officer, which apparently enraged him even more,” the couple’s attorney told the Associated Press.
After Harrison was hit by Wilson, he then punched her in the face.
The two were arrested and charged with felony assault of an officer – however the charges were dismissed five months later.
The lawsuit says Harrison acted with hostility because of “his hate towards the LGBT community”.
At the time of writing, he remains on active duty, according to The Honolulu Police Department.
Watch the women describe the incident below.
Hawaii News Now – KGMB and KHNL
