BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A funeral procession in Boynton Beach turned into a confrontation with police, leading to five people being arrested.
Now, family members are questioning the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for their use of force.
Video captured deputies clashing with people who were leaving the memorial service for Nigel Beckford.
“I’m not leaving my baby. Sir, we’re just coming from the funeral. We’re just coming from the graveyard,” said a witness to a deputy.
Palm Beach County deputies said they spotted people driving recklessly and attempting to take over a nearby intersection.
After detectives conducted a traffic stop, they found four firearms, two of which were said to be stolen.
Five people from the funeral would be arrested.
However, the way that deputies performed the arrest sparked controversy, as witnesses said they were further than 25 feet and watched it unfold.
A statute makes it illegal to come within 25 feet of a first responder on duty after receiving a verbal warning to not do so.
Later, a deputy followed a command to open fire with what appeared to be rubber bullets.
Toya Floyd, who says she and her two sons were among those arrested, said they were passengers in one of the cars that the deputies stopped.
She disputed the allegations against them and questioned the level of force used.
“On the video you can see one of the officers start shooting. I don’t know if it was a mace gun, a fireball, but whatever it was had mesa or pepper spray in it. Once it fired off, you can see in the video where the officer slam my son on the ground,” said Floyd.
The five people arrested now face several charges, including resisting an officer with violence and inciting a riot.
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