Makia Ford said her boyfriend and father of their 4-month-old child had a big heart — and unfortunately, that's what cost him his life.
Thierry Bastien was shot to death inside a Lauderdale Lakes Walmart Tuesday. Ford said she was holding their baby when he was gunned down right in front of them — a nightmare that replays in her head.
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WATCH HERE"I keep hearing the sounds in my head, the gun sounds in my head,” Ford said. "You hearing your loved one got killed is different than being there and witnessing it yourself and knowing you can't do anything about it."
To know Thierry Bastien — or “T” as everyone called him — was to love him. He had a heart for people, but most importantly, he loved his family and his two children. Ford said she already sees him in their 4-month-old.
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"He's always happy, smiling, and that's the type of person his dad was,” Ford said. "He loved his two kids, that's all he talked about, he only had a daughter and son. He was trying to get into the Navy — all he had to do was remove the tattoo from his eye, but he didn't get a chance to do that."
Ford was with her family at the Walmart when they heard a woman screaming for help.
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"She was saying, help, stop, and he was like, I'm not going to go there because this guy might have a gun,” Ford said.
An arrest report said Tironie Sterling, a Walmart employee, came in on his day off to confront another coworker. He demanded to see text messages on her phone and when she refused, he shoved her into some of the shelves, threw her to the ground and got on top of her.
Ford said that's when Bastien stepped in.
"I pulled him by his shirt and said, don't go, and I can't remember his exact words, but I think he said, I'm just going to help,” Ford said.
Before she knew it, she heard gunshots.
"He just stood over him and shot him five or six times, even with me screaming with the baby telling him no, if only for the baby,” Ford said.
Ford described the last few days as hard. What's even harder is their son won't know his dad. What she feels right now is hate and anger.
"It's something I will remember for the rest of my life, it'll be so hard for me to get over,” Ford said.
The family is making funeral arrangements.
