Fourth Estate Staff
Honolulu, HA, United States (4E) – A lesbian couple claims that a Honolulu police officer harassed and arrested them in Hawaii for kissing in public at a grocery store.
The couple from Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against the officer who reportedly forced the women to live in Hawaii for months with no shelter until their legal case was done. The incident took place on March 3, the second day of the couple’s vacation in Hawaii. Courtney Wilson and Taylor Guerrero stooped at Foodland Pupukea for lunch after they spent the morning at the beach.
Wilson said that inside the store, they held hands, kissed, and goofed around and their behavior attracted the attention of an off-duty, uniformed police officer identified as Bobby Harrison. Allegedly, Harrison told them to take it somewhere else.
Wilson recalled, “He said: ‘Hey, you can’t do that. What you’re doing is wrong. That’s disgusting.'” Despite the officer telling them to stop, the women continued to shop and showed affection. Harrison reportedly ordered them to stop again and confronted them. He also encouraged the shop owner to write trespass warnings against the couple.
Wilson felt threatened and decided to call 911 to report that an officer was harassing them. Harrison grabbed Wilson and Guerrero attempted to intervene. More officers arrived and the two women were restrained by the Foodland staff members. They have been then charged with assault on a police office as Guerrero kicked Harrison. The charges were then dropped in July but the women are suing the officer as they have been discriminated against due to their sexual orientation.
Wilson shared, “If he did this to us, we’re not the first people. So we just want to make an example, and let it be known this stuff still happens and it’s not fair.” The lawyer of the couple, Eric Seitz , added, “In this state, in our experience, people have displays of public affection in public places all the time, and no one yells at them and tells them it’s inappropriate.”
The two remain in Hawaii as they used their money to pay the bail posted, which was $1,300 each. By the time they were allowed to go back to Los Angeles, they could no longer afford the air fare so they are working at a restaurant and at a bar. They are sleeping with their co-workers as of the moment.
The spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department, Sarah Yoro , did not comment on the issue yet but noted that an internal investigation was opened. The officer remains in service.
