Innocent Mother and Son Terrorized in California's Shocking Case of Mistaken Identity Detention

In Sacramento, California, a pregnant woman in her ninth month and her 8-year-old son were stopped by police, resulting in them being held at gunpoint. The police department considers this incident to be a case of mistaken identity. While Shanice Stewart was driving her son to football practice last Tuesday, officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop.

"We were at risk of being shot," Stewart informed CNN.

According to a statement from the Sacramento Police Department to CNN, they were actively searching for a juvenile suspect who had two felony warrants, one of which was for possession of a firearm.

Stewart swiftly parked her purple car on the side of the northern California freeway as soon as she noticed the lights on the patrol car behind her, assuming the officer would drive by. Unexpectedly, three additional law enforcement vehicles also came to a stop, bringing all traffic on the freeway to a halt. Complying with the instructions provided by the officers, she discarded her car keys out the window and gradually stepped out of the vehicle. Meanwhile, she instructed her son, Brandon, to remain in the car and keep his seat belt fastened.

Stewart disclosed that she stepped out of the vehicle with her hands raised and back facing the officers. Upon turning around, she observed that the officers had recognized she was not the individual they were searching for and gestured her to approach them.

According to the police statement, when the officers were conducting the traffic stop and the windows were lowered, they determined that the young person in the car was not the desired suspect. Consequently, they terminated the high-risk stop.

Her son hastily left the family vehicle, tears streaming down his face as he begged the police, "Please, don't take my mom," recounted Stewart. Despite her plea for him to stay, the officer reassured him and beckoned him to join them. Standing on the freeway with her son, Stewart listened as one of the responding officers elucidated the extensive police presence, complete with armed officers and a hovering helicopter. They had been in search of a suspect for the past two years, someone who had previously engaged in a high-speed chase with law enforcement.

According to Stewart, the reason given for identifying Brandon as a suspect was his hair texture and white shirt. However, she expressed her disbelief in this explanation, stating that it didn't make sense. Stewart described her son as having a youthful appearance and being small in size, weighing 56 pounds and measuring 3-foot-10. Even when wearing his football uniform, he appears small to her.

Stewart recounts that a department representative approached her the day following the incident to provide additional clarification, revealing that the individual they were searching for was actually a juvenile.

In a state of disbelief, both mother and son stood on the side of the freeway, overcome with emotion, as Stewart shares. Her son turned to her seeking an explanation. "They believed I was a suspect?" he asked. Presently, she asserts that he is filled with fear whenever he has to travel on the freeway. "Whenever he spots a law enforcement officer, highway patrol, or sheriff, he becomes paralyzed. I believe this experience will have a lasting impact on him," she adds.

Brandon is currently not at ease discussing the incident; hence, Stewart is actively looking for a therapist to assist her son. She plans to lodge a formal complaint against the police department and anticipates them to cover the cost of her son's counseling.

Without hesitation, she exclaimed, "Had it not been for them, he wouldn't even require this."

The police department said the incident is under review.