A widely-shared video showed police officers in Aurora, Colorado detaining a Black family in a parking lot. Police say they believed the vehicle the family was traveling in was stolen. The video shows all the family, including children, handcuffed on the ground. It later turned out officers had the wrong car. The chief of police in Aurora has apologized. The New York Times writes:
“In a statement on Monday, Chief Vanessa Wilson of the Aurora Police Department said the officers made a “mistake” during the stop a day earlier, which she said had been treated as a “high-risk stop” because officers believed it involved a stolen vehicle. She said the department was investigating and reviewing training, and she offered to provide therapy for the children “who may have been traumatized.”
“I have called the family to apologize and to offer any help we can provide,” Chief Wilson said.”
The police chief of Aurora, Colorado has apologized after officers were filmed handcuffing a Black family, including 2 children lying on the ground in a parking lot. The city will offer therapy for the children, the chief said. https://t.co/Dg65R8ztOr
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 5, 2020
According to the Times, Aurora police were notified of a possible stolen vehicle. They stopped a car that they say matched the license plate number and vehicle description. But it turned out to be the wrong car. During the incident on Sunday, four children ages six to 17 were told to lie on the parking lot pavement.
“We’re hoping that an officer is going to make the determination and say, ‘Hmm, something’s wrong here — I’m not going to put this little kid on the ground. Unfortunately, that did not happen.”
Watch coverage above from KMGH-TV, Denver7.