Groton Woman, Girlfriend Suing Honolulu Police After Supermarket Kiss

Groton resident Courtney Wilson and San Pedro, Calif. resident Taylor Guerrero were vacationing in Honolulu in March 2015.

The couple was shopping in a supermarket and and holding hands. They paused to give each other a hug and kiss and were observed doing so by Robby Harrison, a uniformed, off-duty officer.

The alleged actions taken by the officer after the hug and kiss prompted the women to file a lawsuit against the Honolulu Police Department.

“While walking through the store aisles, [the] plaintiffs held hands and at one point stopped, hugged, and kissed,” according to the lawsuit, published via the website Heavy. “Defendant Harrison observed their consensual romantic contact and, in a loud voice, ordered plaintiffs to stop and ‘take it somewhere else’.”

The couple kept on shopping and allege that Harrison threatened them after he saw them conduct romantic conduct similar to the earlier one he observed.

The officer spoke to the couple while they were in the checkout line, saying the store was going to ban them from the shop.

Read the full lawsuit below.

The lawsuit stated Harrison told the women to move out of the cashier line. Wilson was reportedly not pleased and tried to call 911 to report the alleged harassment.

“Defendant Harrison then forcefully seized Plaintiff Wilson, preventing her from leaving the store and completing her 911 call,” the lawsuit alleges. “When Plaintiff Guerrero attempted to move herself between Defendant Harrison and Plaintiff Wilson, Defendant Harrison threw Plaintiff Guerrero on to the ground, striking Plaintiff Wilson in the process, and placed both of them in restraints.”

According to CNN, the officer allegedly punched Guerrero in the face. The two said they also struck the officer.

The women were arrested on charges of assault to a law enforcement officer. For two days, the women were held in jail and ordered to stay in Hawaii for months while on bond.

The charges were withdrawn and dismissed, the lawsuit noted. An internal investigation into the alleged actions of the officer was opened by the police department.

According to NBC News, the women are still living in Hawaii while sorting out legal and financial matters.

Photo by adam79, via flickr creative commons