Frisco, Texas Police Apologize for High-Risk Stop Mistake
Frisco, Texas police have issued an apology after a family from Little Rock, Arkansas, was mistakenly pulled over in a high-risk stop due to an error in running the car’s plate. The incident occurred as the family was traveling to a basketball tournament in Grapevine, Texas.
On July 23, a Frisco police officer saw a black Dodge Charger with an out-of-state license plate leaving a hotel. The officer made an error while entering the plate information, mistakenly inputting Arizona instead of Arkansas. As a result, the registration check returned an incorrect result, leading the officer to believe the vehicle may have been stolen.
Believing they were dealing with a potentially stolen car, the officer initiated a high-risk traffic stop on the Dallas North Tollway. Backup officers were called in, and the southbound lanes of the tollway were temporarily closed. Body camera footage released by the department shows the mother, who was driving, and her 6th-grade son being ordered out of the vehicle.
One officer, with his gun drawn, instructed them to slowly exit the vehicle, face away, and turn around. Meanwhile, another officer ordered everyone in the car to put their hands outside the window. The situation escalated further when the officer was informed that the driver had a licensed handgun locked in the glove compartment. The officer warned them not to make any sudden movements that could be mistaken for reaching for a weapon.
The Frisco Police Department has acknowledged their mistake and apologized for the incident. Police Chief David Shilson stated that their department would not hide from its mistakes but instead learn from them. He also expressed empathy for the family and acknowledged their upset. The officer responsible for the error took immediate responsibility for the misunderstanding.
The released body camera footage also captured the emotional response of the family to the incident. The father, who identified himself as a basketball coach, expressed his distress, stating that everything could have gone wrong. After a Frisco police sergeant arrived, it became clear that a mistake had been made in running the plates.
The Frisco Police Department has initiated an incident review to evaluate how the situation was managed and to prevent similar mistakes in the future. The review will include an examination of training, policies, and procedures within the department.
Chief Shilson emphasized that the incident does not reflect the high standard of service the Frisco Police Department typically provides. He apologized on behalf of the department and assured the family that they would hold themselves accountable and provide transparency throughout the process.
This incident serves as a reminder that human errors can occur and have significant consequences. The Frisco Police Department is committed to rectifying the situation and implementing changes to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future.
© 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
