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Police officers in Frisco, Texas, mistakenly held a Black family at gunpoint after a typo led them to believe their car was stolen.

The disturbing incident, which took place on July 23, was captured on multiple officers’ body cameras, and has sparked outrage and concern over racial profiling and police procedures.

The emotional footage showed members of the Frisco Police Department demanding the family exit their car.

The family, a husband, wife, son, and nephew, identified themselves, while the boys were identified as 12 and 13 years old.

One officer even pointed his gun at one of the children, eventually handcuffing him.
At one point during the ordeal, the officer who ran the incorrect plates admitted her mistake.

“It looks like I made a mistake. So I ran it ‘AZ’ for Arizona instead of ‘AR,’ and that’s what happened,” she said, according to the footage.

The gravity of the situation hit the husband during the encounter, and he expressed his emotions, saying, “It could’ve gone all wrong for us, though. If I would’ve gone to reach for my phone, we could’ve all gotten killed,” before walking away in tears.

Frisco Police Chief David Shilson issued a statement in which the department admitted its error and vowed to accept responsibility.

“We will not hide from our mistakes. Instead, we will learn from them,” Shilson insisted.
Frisco is a city about 30 minutes north of Dallas.

The officer who ran the incorrect plates also admitted her error.
Body camera footage captured the conversation between the officer and the father as they attempted to explain the situation.

The officer told the man, “I ran your tag, and it came back to, associated essentially with no vehicle. So I confirmed it with my dispatch – I’m like, ‘That’s weird.’”

Soon after, the footage appeared to feature another police officer saying in the background, “She ran it out of the wrong state.”

The officer who made the typo said, “AR, AR is Arkansas, correct?”
Another officer responded, “It’s Arizona, though. It’s not Arizona.”

“Oh, I see what you’re saying,” the officer responded. “That’s on me.”

As the father and boy got out of the car, the footage showed an officer explaining the mistake to the young boy, who was crying in the back of the car, saying, “We’re so sorry you had to go through that.”

The video ended with the officer, who made the error, shaking hands with the husband after he calmed down.

The husband told the officer, “It’s all good.”

The department promised a thorough review of the incident and committed to implementing necessary training, policies, and procedures changes to prevent similar occurrences.

Shilson apologized on behalf of the department and emphasized a dedication to holding themselves accountable and ensuring transparency throughout the investigation process.

The incident has again brought concerns about racial profiling and the use of force by law enforcement agencies.

The post Texas police mistakenly hold Black family at gunpoint in traffic stop mishap appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

LOS ANGELES (AP) — This year Whitney Houston would have turned 60, and a special celebration to raise money for a good cause is being planned for her birthday.

Houston’s estate, Sony and Primary Wave Music will host the 2nd annual Whitney Houston Legacy of Love on Aug. 9, which will benefit the late singer’s foundation aimed at helping young people.

Houston’s close friends BeBe Winans and Kim Burrell will perform at the gala at Atlanta’s St. Regis Hotel, as will Whitney’s brother, Gary, who toured with her for three decades.

“When I turned 50, Whitney gave me two celebrations — one in Ireland and one in London. I always tell everyone now that one of them was for her,” says Pat Houston, Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law and the executor of her estate. Houston died in February 2012 at age 48. “This year is Whitney at 60 — we’re all looking forward to being a part of the power of love in that room.”

Houston found the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children in 1989 with the goal of empowering youth, providing resources to unhoused children, giving out college scholarships, and raising funds for charities like the Children’s Defense Fund and St. Jude Children’s Research.

A charity auction will raise money for the foundation, which is now called the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation.

“We’re going to auction off a beautiful lavender dress Dolly Parton wore when she sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ at Country Music Television’s ‘100 Greatest Love Songs of Country Music’ special in 2004,” says Pat Houston. “This dress is particularly special because it’s lavender, and lavender is Whitney’s favorite color.”

The song, originally written by Parton, was recorded by Houston and became one of her great, everlasting hits. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it diamond early last year, which means the track has sold and streamed 10 million equivalent units in the United States. It became her first diamond single, and made Houston the third woman to ever achieve diamond-status with both a single and an album, following Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift.

Clive Davis will serve as honorary chairman. Recording Academy President Harvey Mason jr. is scheduled to attend. Also expected are Gamma’s Larry Jackson and Whitney Houston’s musical director Rickey Minor.

“I always tell people, Whitney is the star,” Pat Houston said. “Everybody in that room is royalty, but she’s loyalty — and she’s still showing that.”

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* This article was originally published here

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who is currently serving as acting governor while Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is out of the state, has been taken to a hospital for an undisclosed medical issue.

Oliver, 71, was taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston and is unable to carry out the duties of acting governor, Murphy’s spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said in a statement Monday. Under the state constitution, Democratic Senate President Nicholas Scutari will serve as acting governor.

Gunaratna said Oliver was receiving “medical care” but declined to elaborate.

Murphy’s office has said he’s out of the country on a family vacation in Italy, where he owns a home.

Oliver, a Democrat, has served as the state’s second lieutenant governor since 2018. She concurrently serves as the head of the Department of Community Affairs, which coordinates state aid to towns and cities and oversees code enforcement.

In 2010, she became the first African-American woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly in the state’s history.

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* This article was originally published here