Bodycam footage obtained Wednesday by News4JAX shows what happened the night Jaguars defensive lineman Lerentee McCray pulled into a gas station following what investigators said was a high-speed chase with officers.
McCray’s arrest happened Jan. 16., according to the Fruitland Park Police Department, after McCray’s truck, a white Ram pickup, was clocked on radar unit going 88 mph. He was cited for speeding, a report states, and charged with fleeing and eluding police with disregard of safety to persons or property — a second-degree felony.
Two officer vehicles chased McCray, reaching speeds of 100 mph, according to the arrest report. It said the vehicle was operated “in an extremely reckless manner, swerving across all three lanes of southbound traffic” at a high rate of speed.
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Police records said McCray pulled into a convenience store parking lot, tried to pump gas into an officer’s cruiser and engaged in “erratic behavior.”
(Uncut video below contains language that some may find inappropriate. Discretion advised.)
The footage obtained Wednesday shows McCray’s truck pulling into the convenience store where police officers were standing. He then parks away from the gas pumps and exits the truck.
“You alright? You hurt? Need an ambulance?” an officer asks.
“Hey bro, hey! Quit touching my car, man,” another officer says as McCray approaches a cruiser parked at a gas pump.
McCray stands at the pump and an officer walks over to the fuel door to close it.
“You ain’t gotta get my gas bro. You’re good,” the officer says.
McCray leans toward the officer and appears to hand him a card.
“I just need you to take care of my son,” McCray says.
“What’s that?” the officer asks.
“Take care of my son,” McCray responds.
“Who’s your son?” the officer asks.
“I’m saying gas up,” McCray replies.
“I’m good, bro,” the officer says.
“Gas up!” McCray says.
“The city pays for it. The city pays for it, bro!” the officer responds.
McCray begins laughing, grabs a fuel nozzle and tries to place it in the reservoir. The officer tells him to stop, trying to prevent him from proceeding. McCray appears to grab the officer’s hand and the officer pushed back.
“Don’t f***ing touch me, man!” the officer says. “What are you doing?”
After again saying he was “trying to gas you up,” McCray asks the officer if he can be taken home. The officer instructs McCray to walk back toward his truck.
As noted in the police report, and also seen in the video, McCray opened the back of his truck, “and pulled out a child-size bicycle and placed it on his hood.” The report also notes he was “talking in circles and not responding to officers.”
It states after placing the bike on his hood, McCray “walked to the rear of his vehicle where he laid on the ground as if he wanted to be handcuffed.”
By now, another officer has his identification and is on the phone with a woman claiming to be the mother of McCray’s child. Then, moments later, he lies on the ground and another officer is heard saying: “It’s his baby momma. She’s saying help him. Help him. He’s in a bad state of mind.”
McCray was taken to a hospital.
News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson reviewed the video and says it’s obvious McCray was not in the right state of mind and officers on the scene quickly picked up on that.
“He’s completely oblivious to everything around him, Jefferson said. “He’s got at least five officers around him. He’s not trying to hurt them. He’s not trying to commit any crimes.”
Jefferson said McCray’s mental status could be a factor in the allegations behind the pursuit leading up to the arrest at the gas station.
“Did he realize the police were trying to stop him? Was he really trying to avoid them or he just didn’t stop. All those factors will be taken into consideration,” Jefferson said.
News4JAX requested comment from the Jaguars after obtaining the video. Our request was not returned by Wednesday night.
Last week, when McCray was arrested, the Jaguars released a statement: “We are aware of the situation and are gathering more information,” the Jaguars said. “We have no further comment at this time.”