The two FWC officers followed the man as he swam back to shore for seven minutes.
A man from Florida, United States, jumped into the ocean from a boat, to avoid telling his girlfriend and cops his phone passport. The man was trying to escape arrest after being questioned by the police on the boat, as per a report in the New York Post.
In a YouTube video, bodycam footage from April depicts two female officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission questioning a man, identified as AJ, and his girlfriend aboard a boat somewhere in the waters close to Key West. In the now-viral clip, AJ grew increasingly frustrated before jumping into the ocean after arguing with the police and his girlfriend over the phone and correct identity. He questioned the cops what would happen if he "swims away" and then led the police on a seven-minute pursuit back to shore before being taken into custody.
According to the outlet, the incident took place when the couple was informed by the two cops that they were looking for another vessel inside their jurisdiction, however, the man and his girlfriend were on a boat that had some code violations. The police discovered that AJ was piloting a boat that was breaching several codes and that neither he nor his girlfriend had any identification on them. Claiming he did nothing illegal, he asked the police if they were "just out here trying to catch people breaking laws on the water?" Replying to this, an officer said, "Obviously, we're addressing violations because we're cops and that's what we do."
AJ then asked if they had any warrants. "Usually, when people start acting like that, it is because they've got a warrant," an officer said as his girlfriend told him to "calm down." "You need to relax... you're freaking out," his girlfriend said.
AJ further asked the police officers what would happen if he "jumps in the water and swims away." An officer stated, "I'm going to follow you. I'm telling you, you're not free to leave."
As the man continued to get agitated, he told the cops that he would "swim home." Meanwhile, his girlfriend threatens to leave him if he jumps in the water. "AJ, I swear to f****** god, if you jump in that water, I will be gone tomorrow," she said. The woman asked him to unlock his phone so that she could call his boss. She said, "What is your password for your phone?" Hearing this, AJ then moved to the back corner of the vessel and told the cops that he wouldn't go to prison today. His girlfriend moved towards him with his phone in her hand and urged him to unlock his phone. AJ jumped into the water, not wanting to give his girlfriend access to his device or go to prison.
The police then attempted to arrest him by getting him back into the boat, but AJ argued that he was "not resisting," even as his girlfriend persisted in wanting to know the passcode to his phone. His girlfriend yelled, "After this, I'm telling you, we are done. I'm heading out!"
The two FWC officers followed AJ as he swam back to shore for seven minutes. They escorted him towards the shoreline where another cop was seen waiting.
Since being shared, the clip has amassed over a million views on YouTube.
"Dude would rather swim to land than give his girl his passcode," said a user.
Another commented, "Bro wasn't worried about jail he was worried about that phone being unlocked."
"That girl was trying to use that chance to finally get the passcode to his phone," stated a person. A fourth person commented, "It's like mom, aunt, and older sister trying to get little 5 year Timmy out of the bath tub, so they all can back to playing cards."