AURORA – There were some terrifying minutes for an Aurora family on east Iliff Ave. west of Buckley on Sunday morning. Aurora Police officers detained an entire family, including children aged between six and 17 at gunpoint.
The driver and the younger passengers were ordered out of the vehicle and onto the ground, where some of them were placed in handcuffs face down. A video from a witness shows two of the kids in handcuffs and others yelling for the parents.
The woman identified as the driver, Brittany Gilliam, took her daughter, sister, and nieces out to have their nails done when the police approached them. She says officers surrounded their vehicle with their guns drawn. In the end, it turned out to be a major mistake on Aurora’s part.
APD says two things may have led to the mistake. The 4×4 being reported as stolen earlier in the year and a motorcycle with the same plate number from a different state was reported as stolen Sunday morning. The SUV was stolen back in February and it was recovered the day after it was taken.
Gilliam says the situation could have been handled much differently, especially since there were children in the SUV.
According to APD, an internal investigation has been opened and they released an apology to the family:
“The Aurora Police Department understands that this is concerning and traumatic for those involved and we again offer our apologies.”
A spokesperson for the department says officers are trained when contacting a stolen car to do what is called “a high-risk stop,” which is also used when officers know or suspect the occupants are armed.
The Aurora police have been mired in problems for over a year, including the death of 23-year old Elijah McClain, photos involving his arrest, and even an officer found drunk and passed out behind the wheel of his cruiser.
