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“When Shanice Stewart drove her eight-year-old son to his football practice in Sacramento, Calif. this month, little did she know that it would turn into a harrowing encounter. The unexpected stop occurred on the highway at approximately 5 p.m. on October 17, when police pulled her over at gunpoint.
Stewart, who is nine months pregnant, recounted the incident to ABC News. At first, she assumed it was a routine traffic stop, but her shock deepened when she learned that the police had mistaken her eight-year-old son, Brandon, for a juvenile with two felony warrants, including one for gun possession.
Both Stewart and her son are Black.
According to the Sacramento police, Brandon was stopped because officers believed he matched the description of the suspect they were pursuing. What happened next left Stewart terrified.
“I noticed that they had guns drawn and they had instructions for me to then toss my keys out of the window,” Stewart told ABC News. She complied, exiting her vehicle with her hands up to approach the officers.
“I immediately broke down because I didn’t know or understand what was going on,” Stewart said.
In a Facebook post, Stewart revealed that a helicopter was also circling overhead when she was pulled over by a line of four cop cars. Police explained that Brandon had been identified as a possible suspect when he left their home and entered the car, leaving Stewart fearing for her child’s safety.
“In one of the clips, Brandon can be heard screaming at police officers as his mother walks toward them. ‘Please, no! No, please!’ the eight-year-old cried repeatedly.”
The mother and son were eventually released after the mistaken identity was resolved. However, Stewart is now demanding that the Sacramento Police Department release their bodycam and dashcam videos from the incident.
“I really want to see all their video cameras to see how dumb this looked to place fear in a child and a pregnant woman!” she wrote.
A spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department admitted to the mistake and said it was due to the heavily tinted windows of Stewart’s vehicle. They explained that the officers believed Brandon was the wanted suspect due to a surveillance error.
“We must acknowledge that a case of mistaken identity occurred. Our officers provided an explanation and an apology to the mother and her son,” police said in a statement. “Our department has been in contact with the mother since the incident. We recognize the impact that police interactions can have on our community members.”
Despite the apology, both Stewart and her son are now traumatized. They fear driving on the highway and are constantly aware of police presence. Brandon no longer sits in the front seat and insists on riding in the back where he feels safer.
Stewart firmly believes that the police should be “ashamed” of the mistake, as it could have had disastrous consequences. The juvenile suspect is still at large, and it remains unclear if there will be any disciplinary action against the officers involved as the investigation is ongoing.
Stewart is also considering legal action against the Sacramento Police Department.”
