MESA, Ariz. – The Mesa father who was detained after calling 911 to report his daughter was kidnapped has lost his job after video of the incident went viral on social media.
After 6 a.m., 911 dispatchers got a call on Aug. 6 from Darnay Cockrell to report his ex had kidnapped his 4-year-old daughter.
In a FOX 10 report on Aug. 15, Cockrell shared his side of what happened when officers arrived. A video captured by a bystander shows he was detained by two Mesa Police officers minutes after they got there.
He previously explained what happened, saying, “I was on the phone with the dispatcher, and I was like âshe left.â He was like, âGo locate and see which way she went.â So I went down the stairs and the officer was walking up, and I was like, ‘My baby is gone,’ and he ran on the side of me and was like, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I’m like, ‘No, I’m not getting on the ground. My baby is gone.'”
What wasn’t filmed by a bystander was his first interaction with the officer.
The department hasn’t released the body cam video, but FOX 10’s Lindsey Ragas was able to watch it and record the audio on Aug. 20. It showed the very first interaction Cockrell had with the police officer through his body-worn camera.
“It went from a person who called, to a person you tried to lock up,” Cockrell said in an Aug. 20 interview.
In the previous interview with Cockrell, he said he was running down the stairs as the officer was making his way up.
“I jumped past him about right here and said âHey my baby mom, she went this way,â” he said.
The audio from the body camera shows the conversation.
Cockrell: “Hey, she took my kid!”
Officer: “Yeah, we’re out with her. We’re out with her. Relax. Relax.”
Cockrell: “Get your hands off me, man!”
Officer: “Hey, relax.”
Cockrell: “She took my ******* kid!”
Officer: “Yeah, sit down!”
Cockrell tells the officer he won’t sit down and that he has bad knees.
“I don’t feel I should be getting on the ground when I’m the parent that’s calling and my kid has been taken,” Cockrell said.
The audio continues.
Cockrell: “What are you doing man? I want to know where my kid at.”
Officer: “We’re out with your kid.”
Cockrell: “I don’t see her.”
Officer: “Yeah, because she’s at the intersection, so calm down.”
About five minutes later, another officer arrives and detains Cockrell.
“He was like, âYou brought this on yourselfâ and then grabbed me and pulled me off my car,” the father said.
Cockrell said in the previous interview with FOX 10 that he was emotional, and his heart was racing out of fear for his daughter.
“I’m nervous. I don’t know where my kid is at. I don’t know the situation, and I’m in a frantic place. My heart is racing. I’m not feeling like I’m this father that’s supposed to be protecting his child,” Cockrell said.
Handcuffs were later taken off Cockrell, his daughter was returned to him and his ex was arrested and booked in jail on suspicion of disorderly conduct under the domestic violence law.
Cockrell lost his job after the video went viral on social media. Since then, he has been trying to make ends meet by selling snacks.
A GoFundMe has been set up for him to help cover food and rent.