*Colorado’s Aurora Police Department has opened an internal investigation after a Black family (with children) were handcuffed at gunpoint after mistaking their SUV for a stolen vehicle.
According to witnesses, a police vehicle pulled behind the family and an officer ordered them to exit the SUV at gunpoint, Complex reports.
“The people inside of the car were ordered out onto the ground, and some were placed in handcuffs,” said Interim Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson in a statement. “Shortly after that, officers determined that the car was not stolen. There is a stolen vehicle with the same plate information but from a different state. The confusion may have been due, in part, to the fact that the stopped car was reported stolen earlier in the year. After realizing the mistake, officers immediately unhandcuffed everyone involved, explained what happened, and apologized.”
Police claim the car’s license plate matched the number of a stolen vehicle from a different state. They also attribute the misunderstanding to the fact that the family’s car had been reported stolen earlier in the year.
Scroll up and watch the disturbing scene via the clip above.
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Kanye West: Rapper Names ‘Online Prophet’ Michelle Tidball as Vice President in Ballot
Colorado’s Aurora Police Department has opened an internal investigation after several children were handcuffed at gunpoint during a weekend traffic stop. These police officers should be fired for this bullshit. #BlackLivesMatter
pic.twitter.com/QBOoO2mD7N— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) August 4, 2020
Brittney Gilliam, who was driving the car, was with her six-year-old daughter, 12-year-old sister, and 14-year-old and 17-year-old nieces on Sunday during the traffic stop.
“If you wanted to place me in handcuffs at that point, I would have gladly agreed to that because you had a job to do and you did it under the right protocol, but you pointed a gun at four kids and then you proceeded to start handcuffing the kids,” Gilliam said of the officers’ reaction.
Wilson said she called the family to apologize and offer help “especially for the children who may have been traumatized by yesterday’s events”.
“I have reached out to our victim advocates so we can offer age-appropriate therapy that the city will cover.”
The department has launched an investigation and will cover the cost of therapy for the children, aged six, 12, 14 and 17, it said.
Gilliam told CBS Denver on Monday she does not want an apology.
“I want change,” she said. “Better protocol, better procedures because the way you did it yesterday was not it.”
She added, “Would your kids be okay after that? Having a gun pulled on them and laid on the ground. Especially a six year old.”
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
