California police mistake eight-year-old boy’s identity
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A pregnant mother, driving her son to football practice, says she was pulled over by Sacramento police.
Officers pointed their guns at her car, and it was all because police wrongly thought her son was another person.
Eight-year-old Brandon plays football on a Sacramento youth team.
His mom, Shanice Stewart was driving him to practice last Tuesday when she says everything went wrong.
A helicopter above
Stewart says she was driving on Business 80 when she noticed a Sacramento police officer behind her.
"I kept the same speed just driving normally...I noticed that he turned on his lights, so I moved over to the left thinking, 'Oh, since now I see more cop cars, I'm going to get out of the way and let them go pass...Maybe they have somewhere to go,'" Stewart explained.
Then, she says she realized there was a helicopter above them.
"I looked in the rearview mirror and noticed the police officers had guns out the had aimed toward the car so I listened to instructions to toss keys, open door and get out slowly with hands in the air I just followed instructions I told him to stay in the car
A mistake
She says ultimately, officers told her, they made a mistake.
"I did let them explain it and they tell me he fit the description of suspect they'd been watching for two years. His hair texture and white shirt, which he had on his practice gear, and I'm like 'Really? My eight-year-old baby fits the description of a suspect you're looking for?' It just didn't make sense to me," Stewart expressed.
Sacramento police did not respond for comments, but said they're investigating what happened and reviewing body camera video from its officers, but the stress of the situation was too much, Stewart says, at nine-months pregnant.
"I'm still worried. I'm still scared," Stewart shared.
She knows this will take time for her son to recover from, and wants a formal apology from the department about the ordeal, but believes even that won't undo what they have gone through.
"What kid wants to live in fear of a police officer stopping him and doing something? Is this going to happen everytime? Is this how they deal with young men? Minorities?" Stewart asked.
