Denver police are offering apologies and an internal investigation after officers forced four Black girls, ages 6 through 17 to lie facedown on a parking lot, while two were handcuffed.
Aurora’s police chief apologized on Monday, according to the Washington Post, and blamed the incident, which was captured on video and went viral on social media, as a misunderstanding: The Chief explained that the license plate number on a stolen motorcycle matched the family’s blue SUV, and that car had been reported missing earlier this year, too.
Police said in a statement: "Police were notified about a possible stolen vehicle near a strip mall on Aurora’s Iliff Avenue. Officers dispatched to the scene found a vehicle matching the physical description and license plate number they had been given."
Statement regarding yesterday's car stop at Iliff and Buckley. pic.twitter.com/rNIJhRjUOu
— Chief Vanessa Wilson (@APDChiefWilson)
August 4, 2020 Monday, the interim Aurora Police Chief publicly apologized to the Gilliam family and offered "age-appropriate therapy that the city will cover," for the children involved.
