This is the shocking moment a couple from Connecticut approached two horticulturists mowing a lawn and asked them ‘are you here legally?’
On Sunday, Jose Martin was at a property in Middletown, Connecticut, near the home of Sharon Bourgeois-Williams (58) and Robert Shaw (62) when the two began questioning him and his brother.
Martin, who runs his own landscaping business, said the pair approached him claiming they were making too much noise.
Martin then decided to start filming the couple for seven minutes as they launched into a bitter tirade against him and his brother.
At one point, Williams can be seen pointing at the two and asking them: ‘Do you have a visa to be here? You don’t even have a visa, are you here legally? Are you here legally?’
Jose Martin decided to start filming the couple for seven minutes as they launched into a bitter tirade against him and his brother.
As she continues to yell at the two, Martin pulls his brother, who is Puerto Rican, away from the two who continue their tirade.
Williams can be heard repeatedly saying: ‘He’s not here legally. What do you pay him? You are not here legally, do you have a visa to be here in our country.’
Martin’s brother remains silent throughout, only occasionally gesturing to his brother in Spanish.
Before that, the couple can be seen constantly making videos of Martin, with Shaw at one point saying: ‘This is why we need a border wall, get these clowns out of here.’
Williams adds: ‘Take some good videos so you have to go back over the border.’
After the camera went off, police confirmed they attended the area for reports of harassment and arrested Shaw and Williams.
Middletown Police Department said: ‘Upon arrival, officers learned that residents of Frisbie Street had harassed 39 employees of J. Martin Landscaping in the roadway as they were doing work at a nearby residence.
“The two residents, identified as 62-year-old Robert Shaw and 58-year-old Sharon Bourgeois-Williams, abused employees of the landscaping company because of the noise level of their work.
“In addition, they asked employees if they had work visas and for their immigration status. The employees of J. Martin Landscaping maintained a calm demeanor and filmed the incident.’
Martin, who runs his own landscaping business, said the pair approached him claiming they were making too much noise.
Martin’s brother remains silent throughout as Williams questions the two, only occasionally gesturing to each other in Spanish
The statement continued: ‘After a careful review of the video footage, the Middletown Police Department determined that Shaw and Bourgeois-Williams’ hostile behavior prevented one employee from moving freely in the roadway.
‘Both were charged with disorderly conduct and released on a $10,000 non-surety bond.
‘Shaw and Bourgeois-Williams will appear in Middletown Superior Court on October 26, 2023.’
Martin shared his video of the confrontation on social media and wrote: ‘I was doing a job when these two people approached me and claimed I was making ‘too much noise’ because I was just cutting the grass.
‘In the video you can see how they decided to deal with the situation. Please share this to spread awareness.’
Martin told afterwards NBC: ‘(I was) a bit worried because I believed the guy was going to attack us.
‘Then at the beginning she started swearing at me so I got my phone out and I knew it was going to be a problem. We work hard for our living, it’s a very hard job, and it’s not an easy job.’
Local station WTNH also caught up with the couple, with Williams saying: ‘We made a mistake. I was drinking. I haven’t been myself lately, I’m definitely not a racist. My son is Puerto Rican.’
Bourgeois-Williams and Shaw were subsequently arrested over the video, with Williams, seen here, admitting she had been ‘drinking’ before the tirade
Both were charged with disorderly conduct and released on a $10,000 non-surety bond
In a statement, Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim said: ‘I was horrified to see the video circulating on Facebook of José Martín and his staff being hurled insults and racist remarks by two people who live in Middletown. be stormed.
Let me be clear, we do not tolerate this type of behavior in Middletown and it does not represent who we work to be as a community.
My staff went to mr. Martin issued to offer our apologies for the way he was treated while working in our City. We never want anyone to think what you saw on that video is what you get when you come to Middletown.
I have also been in touch with our PD to see what, if any, action can be taken against the couple who are seen hurling insults and insults at mr. Martin and his employee are thrown.
To everyone who saw the video and was moved by the behavior captured within, I am sorry that any of you were treated this way and that so many had to witness this. We strive to do better in Middletown and know that it is a constant work in progress. Please know that we are always working to be better.