A former Florida law enforcement officer is accused of threatening to shoot officers, city officials, and the police station belonging to the department where she once worked. Florida City police say 54-year-old Rocquel Lovet McCray was arrested on September 11 after making threats on social media and then contacting the department directly.
Police say McCray’s employment with the Florida City Police Department ended in 2019, although the agency did not provide additional information about her departure. Seven years later, investigators say she traveled from Jacksonville to South Florida shortly before the threats continued.
According to the police department’s Instagram post, McCray traveled to Miami International Airport on September 10 and then used a private transportation service to reach Florida City. The department says the initial threats made through social media were brought to the attention of law enforcement and prompted an investigation.
Police say McCray subsequently called the Florida City Police Department herself and made additional threats to shoot at the station while speaking with a dispatcher. Officers located her shortly afterward at a local restaurant, where authorities say she resisted before being taken into custody.
Former Officer Accused of Threatening Her Old Department
Embedded media follows; please give the video a moment to load.
View this post on Instagram
The Florida City Police Department described the threats as targeting its police station, individual officers, and city officials. The agency did not disclose the specific language McCray is accused of using or explain what investigators believe motivated the threats.
The department did, however, emphasize McCray’s history in law enforcement by identifying her as a former officer whose employment with the agency ended in 2019. Police did not say what position she held, how long she worked for the department, or why her employment ended.
One person responding to the department’s announcement described McCray as having once been a good officer and recalled working alongside her on community efforts such as feeding homeless people and providing school supplies to children. The commenter also made claims about McCray fighting corruption and struggling after losing her job, but those assertions were not substantiated by the information released by police.
Jail Records Provide More Details About Charges
Miami-Dade County jail records list McCray in connection with a charge involving the threat of a public servant to influence the performance of their duties, with a $2,500 bond. She is also listed on a charge of threatening death or bodily harm against a law enforcement officer with a $1,000 bond.
The records additionally list three counts of resisting an officer without violence, with a $500 bond. The jail entry shows that the bond had been submitted but was not yet listed as satisfied at the time of the available record.
McCray’s jail record was updated on September 13, two days after Florida City police announced her arrest. The charges against her remain accusations, and McCray is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.