Shanice Stewart and son Brandon.Photo:Shanice Stewart
Shanice Stewart
A pregnant mom and her 8-year-old son were pulled over at gunpoint last week and police say it was because of a “case of mistaken identity”
Stewart toldCNNthat she pulled her purple car to the side of the northern California freeway as the lights of a patrol car turned on behind her. Per the reports, more officers and a helicopter responded before traffic was halted.
During an interview withABC News, the mom said she was “scared of him getting shot.”
“You don’t know what to expect, especially when it’s multiple officers with their guns drawn towards the car,” she added.
8-year-old Brandon.Shanice Stewart
Though Stewart asked her son to stay in the car, Brandon exited and pleaded for officers not to take her away. “I got out of the car with hands up and back turned toward the officers,” Stewart told CNN.
According to CNN, Stewart said it eventually appeared that officers realized that her son was not the person they were looking for.
“As officers were conducting the stop and the windows were rolled down, they realized the juvenile in the vehicle was not the wanted suspect, and at that point the high-risk stop was ended,” police said in their statement.
Stewart claimed that the following day, police told her the suspect they were looking for is a teenager, according to ABC News.
Shanice Stewart’s son Brandon.Shanice Stewart
“Our officers provided explanation and an apology to the mother and her son on scene. Our department has remained in contact with the mother and community leaders since the incident,” their statement continued. “We recognize the impact that police interactions can have on our community.”
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Stewart told CNN Brandon is now terrified to travel on the highway and “freezes up” when he sees a member of law enforcement. “I think it’s going to stick with him,” she said.
She’s now seeking a therapist for her son, who has been unable to talk about the incident, per CNN. She also wants the department to pay for the counseling and intends to file a complaint against them.
source: people.com
