Who is Jose Martin? Connecticut couple arrested for accosting landscaper and telling him to 'go back over the border'
MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT: Jose Martin runs his own landscaping business with his brother, both of them hailing from Puerto Rico. On October 8, while at work, they were approached by Sharon Bourgeois-Williams, 58, and Robert Shaw, 62, who claimed that they were making too much noise and asked, "Are you here legally?"
When the couple launched into a bitter tirade against the brothers, Martin decided to film them for seven minutes.
Jose Martin and his brother face racist remarks while on duty
At one point in the footage, William is seen pointing at the two brothers and asking, "Do you have a visa to be here? You don't even have a visa do you, are you here legally? Are you here (legally)?"
As the shouting continues, Martin pulls his brother away, who remains silent throughout, and gestures to his brother occasionally in Spanish.
Williams is heard repeating, "He's not here legally. What are you paying him? You are not here legally, do you have a visa to be here in our country?"
Previously, the two are captured videoing Martin, with Shaw at one point saying, "This is why we need a border wall, get these clowns out of here."
"Take some good videos so that you have to go back over the border," adds Williams.
Sharon Bourgeois-Williams and Robert Shaw were arrested for harassment
After the recording, ended, police confirmed that they responded to reports of harassment, states the Daily Mail.
"On arrival, officers learned that residents of 39 Frisbie Street had been harassing employees of J. Martin Landscaping in the roadway for doing work at an area residence," read a statement from the Middletown Police Department.
"The two residents, identified as 62-year-old Robert Shaw and 58-year-old Sharon Bourgeois-Williams, berated employees of the landscaping company due to the noise level of their work. In addition, they were asking 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," it 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."
The police arrested Williams and Shaw, charging them with disorderly conduct. They have been released on a $10,000 non-surety bond.
Martin shared the video he captured on social media and later told NBC that he was "a little worried because I was believing the guy was going to attack us. Then she started cursing at me in the beginning so I pulled out my phone and I knew this was going to be a problem. We work hard for our living, this is a really tough job, and this is not an easy job."
Speaking with local station WTNH, Williams said, "We made a mistake. I was drinking. I haven't been myself lately, I am definitely not a racist. My son is Puerto Rican."
Middletown mayor remarks on the incident
Ben Florsheim, Middletown mayor, stated, "I was horrified to see the video making the rounds on Facebook of Jose Martín and his staff being barraged with insults and racist remarks by two people who live in Middletown."
He then added, "Let me be clear, we don't tolerate this type of behavior in Middletown and it doesn't represent who we work to be as a community."
"My staff has reached out to Mr. Martin 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," he stated.
"I've also been in touch with our PD to see what, if any, action can be taken against the couple seen hurling insults and slurs at Mr. Martin and his employee," Florsheim explained, hinting the couple could face more charges in the future.
"To everyone who has seen the video and been affected by the behavior captured within, I'm sorry that you anyone was treated this way and that so many had to witness it. We strive to do better in Middletown and know that it's a constant work in progress. Please know that we are always working to be better," he concluded.
