Mother held at gunpoint with 8-year-old son wants police to pay for his therapy

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By Char Adams, NBC

Shanice Stewart and her son, Brandon
Shanice Stewart and her son, Brandon (KCRA)

A woman who is nine months pregnant wants police to cover the cost of therapy for her 8-year-old son who she says was traumatized when police in Sacramento, California, pulled them over at gunpoint in a case of mistaken identity. 

Shanice Stewart, who works as a hairstylist, said her son, Brandon, is afraid to ride on the highway and becomes anxious when near police following the Oct. 17 incident. Police pulled the pair over around 5 p.m. that night with their guns drawn, believing the third-grader to be a teen wanted on two felonies. 

Stewart said she fears the incident will have a lasting negative impact on Brandon. 

“My son was yelling and pleading, ‘Please don’t take my mom.’ He was crying,” Stewart said. “It really bothers him to talk about it. I don’t want him to have it bottled inside.”

[..]

Stewart said police contacted her the day after the incident to explain what happened. She said she has since filed a complaint with the city’s Internal Affairs Division. Ultimately, she wants a “genuine apology” and for the department to cover the costs of therapy for her son to heal from the ordeal.

Get more details.

Black children, and especially boys, must be aware of the risk of police interactions.

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