He returned to law enforcement a few years later, joining the Roswell Police Department. He left the Atlanta Police Department after four years to join a family business. He would also go on to say he regretted the arrest. Officer Torrick vowed that he was not anti-gay, citing his work as a security at Bulldog Lounge, a gay club, as evidence. It was reported that “he was afraid of Atlanta.” 1 He died due to complications of AIDS in 1991. 1Ī Georgia statute made consensual oral or anal sex a felony - and punishable by up to 20 years in prison.Ī post shared by lgbt_history returned to his hometown of Miami in 1985. The situation escalated, and Officer Torrick arrested the two for sodomy. The men, understandably, were surprised and upset by the unexpected, and uninvited, presence of police - and vocally so. The Officer walked into Hardwick’s bedroom, and found him having consensual sex with a man. Some reports say a guest let him in, and others say he let himself in.
Questions remain about exactly how Officer Torrick got into the apartment. He returned to the apartment to try again in early August. Officer Torrick had first attempted to serve the warrant at Hardwick’s apartment soon after it was issued. The paperwork showing that Hardwick settled his fine never made its way to Officer Torrick - who remained intent on serving the warrant. He paid a fine, and thought the issue was settled. Meanwhile, Hardwick was informed that he missed court.
Hardwick didn’t appear, and the Officer obtained a warrant for his arrest. The ticket mandated that Hardwick appear in court date eight days later. It started when Officer Torrick wrote Hardwick a ticket for the beer.
#THE COVE GAY BAR ATLANTA GA SERIES#
So began a series of events that would land the young patrolman in Hardwick’s bedroom just a few weeks later.