*Tampa Bay police have released bodycam footage to show their version of a now viral encounter with a Black woman who was pulled over.
Joneshia Wilkerson, 25, posted video to her Instagram account on Friday showing her sitting in a Nissan Altima while a white cop points a gun at her.
“Y’all I got pulled over and this cop is literally pointing a gun at me. He still didn’t put his gun down,” she said in the one-minute clip, per TooFab. “Sir, can you at least put your gun down?”
In the caption Wilkerson wrote, “I told him numerous times I can get out the car and I’m not arm yet he still pointed his gun at me I was scared and in fear with my life and he kept telling me to keep my hands on the wheels like he was gonna shoot and I kept telling him that my hands are up I never once lowered my hands!”
“The last thing I need is a gun pointed to my head,” she added.
The bodycam footage shows the officer pointing his weapon at Wilkerson while informing her that she’s occupying a reported stolen vehicle.
Watch the moment via the clip above.
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Tampa, Florida.
TPD officer pointed a gun aiming directly at the head of a 23 year old unarmed innocent black woman, Joneshia Wilkerson after alleging she was driving a stolen vehicle.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!! pic.twitter.com/LkSkdSU4Qs
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) June 22, 2020
When backup arrives, she is cuffed, placed inside a patrol car and eventually released without charges, the report states.
The officer’s bodycam footage was released to slam the “false narrative” surrounding Wilkerson’s detainment.
“There is a post circulating on social media that misrepresents the facts of a recent felony traffic stop of an occupied stolen vehicle,” read the statement.
Police said the officer properly handled the situation involving a stolen car.
“Stolen cars are quite often used — to do a different type of crime whether you’re going to rob someone, break into houses, it usually leads to more crime, other crimes,” said Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan on Monday, per the outlet. “That’s why we take such caution when it comes to stolen cars.”
“The officer put in his gun in a low ready where it’s not pointed directly at the person but its already out and can be used and easily raised if they have to defend themselves,” he added.
“The stolen vehicle was impounded,” police said. “The occupants were not charged.”
“Upon completing the investigation, the driver and passenger were released and appeared to understand the explanation provided by the officers,” police said in the news release.
Wilkerson is a member of the U.S. Army, and recently returned from deployment. She borrowed the car from a friend and did not know it was reported stolen.
“I feel like something needs to happen to the Tampa PD officer who held that gun on me for four minutes. The Tampa PD, they are bullies, and the way they treat people is bad,” Wilkerson told NBC News.
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