A 39-year-old Key West woman said Key West Police Officer Michael Beerbower made her feel threatened Wednesday night after he banged on the door and barged into a Von Phister Street residence where she was housesitting.
"I was watching television about 8:30 when I heard a loud banging on the front door," said Judy Zurheide. "It was so loud that it scared me. So, before going to the door, I picked up the phone and called a friend who lives just down the street.
"The banging on the door continued," Zurheide said.
"When I did go to the door, I took the cordless phone with me so that my friend could hear what was happening. I asked who was there.
"`Open the door!" a man said in a loud voice. I was really frightened. I asked again who it was. This time he identified himself a `Key West Police!' I asked him to step over to the window so I could see him. He refused. But when I went to the window, I could see his uniform, so I opened the door and asked him what was going on.
"He told me that there had been a burglary report. I asked him if I looked like a burglar."
Zurheide, a slight blonde who wears glasses, said she was dressed in pajama pants, a t-shirt and was barefooted. Most of the lights in the house were on.
"`Get off the phone!,' he ordered. I hesitated because he was being so aggressive. I wanted my friend to be a witness to whatever was going to happen. But I did hang up once my friend said he would come right over.
"At this point, the officer called for backup. I heard him tell someone on the radio that I was being uncooperative. That's not true. I was being more than cooperative— he just seemed to be pumped up on testosterone.
"When he asked me who I was, I told him that I was the housesitter. He asked for identification and I went to get a yellow pad with notes to me from the owner and my drivers license. When I returned, I was shocked to see that he had stepped into the house.
"The notes from the owner included several numbers where she could be reached. I suggested that we call her, but he refused to allow that. He was mean and threatening. There was no reason for him to act like that."
By this time, another patrol car had arrived, lights flashing, Zurheide said.
"When I tried to speak to the other officer, who seemed much more calm and reasonable, the first officer jerked the yellow pad out of my hand, looked at it and, then, literally threw it back at me. It fell to the floor, scattering papers that I had tucked into the pad. He then took my drivers license.
"I told the officers that the neighbors knew me, so we all trooped next door to the home of an elderly woman. She identified me— and told the officers that she had called 911 because she said she thought she saw a man outside the house.
"Then another patrol car arrived, lights flashing. And my friends from down the street arrived. And other neighbors were out on the street to see what all the commotion was about.
"I asked the officer for my drivers license back, but he refused. I leaned over to look at his nametag, but it was too dark. `Beerbower,' he said. I was so upset that I didn't link that name to the officer who has been in the news lately for beating up those two boys. But my friend must have reacted. And the officer added, `Yeah, that Beerbower!'
"Then he launched into this authoritative lecture about how he had to check out the complaint— `and we never know what burglars look like.' The other cops standing around seemed embarrassed for him"
"He denied banging on the door," said Russell Gregory, who lives with his wife, Joan, just down the street on Von Phister. "But I could clearly hear the loud banging when I was on the phone with Judy.
"I also heard one of the cops accuse Judy of `tying up the entire police force for this.'"
"Beerbower was way too aggressive and threatening," Zurheide said. "He cannot be allowed to keep doing this to people.
"He finally left, but not before going over to flirt with two young women who had come out to see the show."
Zurheide said she wants to make a formal complaint about Beerbower. "But, frankly, I'm afraid to go to the police station."