Families of 4 Black girls mistakenly arrested, handcuffed, held at gunpoint suing state of Colorado
The families of four Black girls, mistakenly held at gunpoint in August of 2020, are suing the Denver police department claiming racial bias.
The incident captured national attention after a video of it went viral. The image of four girls, ranging in age from six to 17, face down on the ground in handcuffs.
The 6-year-old's mother, Brittney Gilliam, the driver of the car, is also a plaintiff in the case.
The families say their children were traumatized and are suing for unspecified monetary damages, disciplinary action against the officers written apologies and changes in police and training, according to reporting by NBC Los Angeles.
At the time of the incident, Aurora's police chief apologized and characterized it 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.
The lawsuit filed in state court, alleges that one of the officers tried to handcuff the 6-year-old, who was wearing a tiara for what was supposed to be a girls' day out with her relatives — but the officer could not because the handcuffs were too big for the girl.
Under a Colorado police reform bill passed amid protests over racial injustice last year, the five officers could be named as defendants, and held financially liable for any monetary judgements awarded in the case.
Aurora's police chief, Vanessa Wilson, was also listed as a defendant but it's not clear whether the new law would also make her financially liable.
