Confrontation involving state rep. candidate caught on camera

A confrontation outside a polling place in Dorchester between a state representative candidate and his opponent's father was caught on camera and the video has been shared more than one thousand times.

State representative candidate and attorney Jovan Lacet said he was handing out cards to voters outside Florian Hall on Tuesday when he was confronted by Robert Cullinane, father to incumbent state representative Dan Cullinane.

"I did not know who he was, honestly, I did not know," said Lacet. "He said 'I'm Dan's father."

Lacet is a former Boston Police officer who was terminated after a perjury claim in the murder investigation and trial of his brother Besher Lacet. Besher was accused in a fatal shooting in 1998, where he was acquitted and deported to Haiti, where he later died.

"I reached out to shake his hand, the gentleman grabbed my hand and started squeezing it hard and said 'the same thing that happened to Besher is going to happen to you,'" said Lacet.

Lacet's aid, Jeff Durham, took cell phone video of the encounter, which received more than a thousand views on Facebook. Durham told police in a report obtained by Boston 25 News that "Mr. Cullinane then grabbed his cellular phone and threw it away, causing minor damages to his phone."

"He came over here and he threw it up there on the kitty corner," said Durham.

Representative Cullinane told Boston 25 News in a statement his father was injured in the confrontation and sent us a photo.

"In an apparent attempt to intimidate him, Mr. Lacet grabbed my father and refused to let go, leaving a deep bruise on his hand," said Rep .Cullinane."He [Lacet] has also attempted to provoke me and my staff on multiple occasions."

Durham and Lacet deny those allegations.

Both parties have filed police reports with the Boston Police Department and said the incident shouldn't have happened.

"I said 'that doesn't mean (expletive) to me, which is wrong to say and I apologize for that," said Lacet.

"I regret that this incident occurred and that my father responded emotionally when physically confronted by Mr. Lacet and a member of his staff," said Rep. Cullinane in a statement.

Rep. Cullinane declined an on-camera interview, but told Boston 25 News his father is planning to see his doctor.

The state representative race will be held on Sept. 8.

Lacet said they are seeking a new phone and a clean race.

Cox Media Group