A police department has offered a public apology to a Black family who officers violently threatened during a traffic stop in Texas.
The potentially fatal incident, which has shocked social media, took place on Sunday, July 23rd. The unidentified family from Little Rock, Arkansas, was traveling on the Dallas North Tollway in Frisco en route to Grapevine. They were headed to a basketball tournament when an officer mistakenly ran their car tag for Arizona instead of Arkansas. Thinking the car was stolen due to an influx of crime in the area, the unsuspecting family was stopped, and guns were drawn. Backup was called, and additional officers arrived on the scene, ordering the mother, husband, their sixth-grader son, and nephew out of the car. On the bodycam footage, the husband can be heard pleading with the officers, telling them that he is a basketball coach.
After a sergeant arrived on location, he quickly realized that the family was being wrongfully detained. He and the officer who initiated the stop began to apologize as the father slammed them for irresponsibly running the license plate incorrectly.
“That’s a terrible experience. You all got to do your job, but we’re all legit,” the father exclaimed, as heard on the bodycam footage obtained by CNN.
In a statement issued on Friday, Frisco Police Chief David Shilson acknowledged that he and his officers acted in poor taste.
“Our department will not hide from its mistakes. Instead, we will learn from them. The officer involved quickly accepted responsibility for what happened, which speaks to integrity. I’ve spoken with the family. I empathize with them and completely understand why they’re upset,” Shilson stated.
The victims of the frightening ordeal have not yet publicly spoken out, though a matter such as this one does appear lawsuit worthy. The traffic stop remains under investigation. As of now, no legal action has been announced.
