Police Handcuff Aurora Woman and Children During Mistaken Pursuit of Stolen Vehicle
The police department of Aurora, Colorado is apologizing over a video where officers where shown handcuffing and arresting an African-American family after mistakenly suspecting that their car was stolen.
The incident took place on Sunday as Brittney Gilliam drove her daughter and her relatives through the suburbs while they tried to see if any nail salons were open. Gilliam’s SUV was eventually approached by police at a shopping center, and in footage that was uploaded to Facebook, Gilliam and her family are seen handcuffed on the ground.
Multiple reports say the cops drew weapons on Gilliam’s family, and her younger relatives were shown crying and screaming in fear throughout the video. The incident quickly went viral and Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson offered an apologetic statement on the confrontation.
Statement regarding yesterday's car stop at Iliff and Buckley. pic.twitter.com/rNIJhRjUOu
— Chief Vanessa Wilson (@APDChiefWilson) August 4, 2020
As Wilson mentioned in her statement, Gilliam’s car was flagged by a local license plate scanner that identified her vehicle as stolen. However, the license plate was mistaken for the real stolen vehicle: a motorcycle from Montana.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Gilliam recalled the emotional distress the incident caused her family, calling the arrest “unacceptable.”
“To hear four kids scream my name like that is the most heartbreaking thing ever,” she said.
Watch above via Good Morning America.
