(CNN) — The Colorado city of Aurora said Monday it has reached a $1.9 million settlement with a Black family who had guns drawn on them in a stolen vehicle mix-up in 2020.
“The Aurora Police Department remains committed to strengthening the relationship with the community through accountability and continuously improving how it serves the public,” city spokesman Michael Brannen told CNN Monday. “The city can confirm that an agreement has been reached.”
In August 2020, Brittney Gilliam was taking her 6-year-old daughter, 17-year-old sister, and 14- and 12-year-old nieces to get their nails done when Aurora police officers stopped them in a parking lot and ordered them at gunpoint to get out of their vehicle.
The settled lawsuit says officers ordered them on the ground and Gilliam, her sister, and the 12-year-old were handcuffed while police verified the car she was driving was not stolen. At the time, Aurora police were told to handle stolen vehicles as a high-risk stop, authorities said then.https://www.youtube.com/embed/OuiLfWVTuaY?enablejsapi=1
Gilliam’s attorney, David Lane, said Monday in a statement that they hope law enforcement officers learn how to use common sense, especially when dealing with children. He also said his clients being Black played a role in the officers’ actions.
“A robo-cop mentality will lead to huge liability. We believe that inexcusable racial profiling was involved in this case as well,” Lane said. “When the race of the occupants of a vehicle causes guns to be drawn, a line has been crossed which will result in huge consequences for the police.”
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