MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

Stolen motorcycle, not van: ‘Racist’ Aurora PD slammed for holding Black women, kids at gunpoint after goof-up

One tweeted, 'They didn't spare the little baby? Shame on you Aurora PD and the city itself for breeding such systematic racism and dehumanization'

The Aurora Police Department (APD) said a family was detained after their vehicle was mistakenly identified to be the same as the one that was reported stolen on Sunday, August 2, according to reports. The car was being driven by a Black woman called Brittney Gilliam, who was taking her nieces, younger sister and daughter to get their nails done. 

APD said Gilliam’s car had the Colorado license plate, but the same number as the motorcycle that was reported stolen from Montana on Sunday, reported News 9. Gilliam’s car was stolen back in February but had been found a day later. Cops have stated that these factors could have led to the confusion.

A video shared by a witness shows children lying face down on the ground. The officers proceed to handcuff them and reportedly also held a six-year-old girl at gunpoint. Explaining the incident, Gilliam said, "He’s like something about the car being reported stolen. And I’m like 'this happened months ago, you guys cleared it we got to pick up the car the next day the very next day so I’m not understanding what’s going on."

Gilliam added, “There’s no excuse why you didn’t handle it a different type of way. You could have even told them 'step off to the side let me ask your mom or your auntie a few questions so we can get this cleared up.' There was different ways to handle it." 

APD told in a statement, “The Aurora Police Department understands that this is concerning and traumatic for those involved and we again offer our apologies”. A spokesperson for the department told News 9 that the officers are “trained” when contracting “high-risk stop”. They explained, ”In a high-risk stop, weapons are drawn, and occupants are told to exit the car and lie prone on the ground. There is not a written policy regarding when/how we use this stop. Officers can use discretion based on the information they have at the time."

Interim police chief Vanessa Wilson said she would be directing her team into new practices after the latest incident, according to The Denver Post. She said, “I have called the family to apologize and to offer any help we can provide, especially for the children who may have been traumatized by yesterday’s events. I have reached out to our victim advocates so we can offer age-appropriate therapy that the city will cover”.

The video has since gone viral on the Internet with many expressing their disappointment in the police officers for falsely detaining the family, holding the children at gunpoint and mistreating the family. One tweeted, “They didn't spare the little baby? Shame on you Aurora PD and the city itself for breeding such systematic racism and dehumanization. #BlackLivesMatter”

Another added, "Hey Aurora Police Department @AuroraPD, when are you a**holes going to stop needlessly putting innocent black lives in danger to meet your apparent power trip quotas? This is disgusting. Your racism/racial profiling is on full display."