A Miami area woman reportedly went into early labor after she was allegedly kicked in the stomach by an off-duty police officer. Evoni Murray gave birth to a boy, and is “grateful” that her son is okay despite the circumstance.
“When he was born, it put a smile on my face, and all my concern was if he was healthy,” baby Joe’s father Joseph Predulus told WSVN. According to reports, eight-month-pregnant Murray and Predulus were roaming South Beach when they encountered off-duty officer Ambar Pacheco and her sister.
An incident report read that an argument ensued, and Predulus reportedly kicked Pacheco’s sister in the face; Ambar responded by “beating the sh*t out of [Murray].” The woman was kicked out of the force and is facing aggravated battery charges.
Predulus believes that the former officer was drunk at the time of the incident. “As I was talking to the police, I realized they were drunk, so I guess the alcohol probably kicked in,” he said.
“The pain was really—it was shock,” Murray told WSVN. “I really didn’t have no understanding of anything. I just wanted to make sure my baby was safe…That’s something that’s always scary for a woman, to feel like your baby’s in danger because of a tragic situation. That’s a whole other traumatic level.”
Thank goodness the baby is healthy; baby Joe was born weighing six pounds, four ounces.