An Atlanta mother claims she was mistaken for a thief and detained by police in front of her children after stopping by a gas station to use the bathroom.
Deondra Hawkins stopped at a RaceTrac last Friday so her two teenagers could use the bathroom. The family also intended to purchase snacks. Instead of being able to shop at the store, the woman’s car was surrounded by police.
Video footage circulating on social media shows officers pointing their guns at Hawkins and yelling at her to “back up.” You can see Hawkins walking backward toward officers and telling them she is scared.
Hawkins’ children exited the store as she was being cuffed. Her daughter Leah was placed in a separate car, and her 18-year-old autistic son was held on the ground. Leah told CBS46 that she was afraid that he could be shot.
“Especially them having guns pointed at him, and he walks up to them, my fear is he will be shot because he was Black,” she said.
The family was released after being detained for about five minutes. Police explained they were looking for a “tall, thin suspect” connected to an armed robbery. According to the family, officers told them the mishap transpired because they had the same make and model vehicle as the suspect.
But Hawkins says the family was “traumatized” by the incident.
“I’m traumatized when I hear children crying when I see police driving,” she added. “It’s just difficult to deal with.”
Kayla Bumpus, the family’s lawyer, is asking for a full investigation into what took place. She would also like to see accountability from the officers and sensitivity training.
