Sarasota Sheriff addresses circulating video of 3 men following teen accused of making inappropriate comments to women

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — A widely-circulated video depicting an 18-year-old being followed by three men sparked concern in one Sarasota neighborhood.

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman addressed the incident Thursday, in a lengthy public statement, breaking down the incident that was sent to the agency on Oct. 15.

Roommate who reported Florida woman missing now charged with her murder: police

The video, from Oct. 10, showed 18-year-old Cornell Harris, III filming himself walking through the Skye Ranch neighborhood while being followed by Romulo Nobrega, 36, Stephen Carega, 41, and Geffrey Gardner, 43.

According to an incident report, Harris was walking around the neighborhood because he was "bored inside his home," due to being without power from the recent hurricane.

Deputies said the three men followed Harris for "an extended period of time," as they questioned and confronted him. As the videos circulated, officials said several altered videos began spreading, one person even posting that a firearm was used in the incident.

When deputies were alerted of the situation, they launched an investigation, reviewing videos, interviewing witnesses, and canvassing the neighborhood.

Several witnesses told authorities that Harris made inappropriate comments to women in the neighborhood, including one of the men's wives, which prompted the men to follow and confront the teen, according to the sheriff's office.

The report said Harris had asked one of the wives, who was alone with her child, if she had a man, which made her uncomfortable. This ultimately led the three men to follow the teen. The teen told them he was "part of the neighborhood," calling the men "creepers" as he recorded the interaction.

At one point, Carega got into his car to follow Harris. He got out, taking a short baseball bat out of the vehicle, which he said was to knock the phone out of Harris' hands. He was eventually physically restrained by Romulo before he could get to Harris. Deputies said no firearms were observed during this encounter.

Middle school student shoots self on school bus in St. Petersburg

An off-duty deputy responded to the incident and determined Harris was lawfully walking and told the men to stop following him.

Based on witness statements and their investigation, the sheriff's office determined that "no probable cause exists to believe a crime was committed."

The investigation has been closed.