Terrifying Bodycam Video Shows Family Held at Gunpoint After Police Error: 'We Made a Mistake'

Bodycam video shared by the Frisco Police Department in Texas shows the moment authorities pull over a black Dodge Challenger, believing it to be stolen. According to a press release, the officer who spotted the car ran its plates, due to "recent burglaries and vehicle thefts in which Chargers are frequently stolen" -- but instead of saying the plate was from Arkansas, or "AK," she mistakenly entered "AZ" for Arizona.

"The error resulted in an incorrect registration return, leading the officer to believe that the vehicle was possibly stolen," said Frisco PD. Backup was called and because it was considered a "high-risk stop," guns were drawn after the vehicle was pulled over.

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In the vehicle was driver Demetria Heard -- who identified herself on TikTok after the incident -- as well as her husband, her son and her nephew.

One of the responding officers had Heard exit the vehicle, before asking her whether she had a firearm in the vehicle. She responded that she did, adding it was licensed and in the glove compartment. As she was told to back up toward authorities, they also had her son exit the car -- telling him, "We know there is a gun in there. If you reach in that car, you may get shot. Do not reach in the car."

As Heard asked a female officer why they were pulled over, she insisted the vehicle was not stolen -- saying, "This is scaring the hell out of me." Spotting her son in handcuffs, she exclaimed, "Please don't let them do that to my baby. This is very traumatizing. This is very traumatizing. Why is my baby in cuffs? What are y'all doing?"

Eventually, the responding officers realized the mistake, put down their guns and told Heard's husband he could also step out of the car.

"This is my wife's car ... We're just here for a basketball tournament ... don't do this to my son, bro," he pleaded, before breaking into tears. "I'm a basketball coach. You all pulled a gun on my son for no reason."

As police explained what happened, Heard's husband told them "Come on, man. That's a terrible experience. I understand y'all gotta do y'alls jobs, but we all legit, bro. Jesus Christ."

"This is an honest mistake. We didn't want to do this. We didn't know. It came back stolen to us," said one of the officers. "This is the normal way we pull people out of a stolen car. It just came back to us that it was not stolen. That's why we stopped everything in the middle. We're so sorry you had to go through that."

"I see them with the gun, I'm like, 'Damn, what the f--- we do? I just ate breakfast!'" the father, a basketball coach, responded. "That's my baby boy. We are good people. We are from Little Rock, Arkansas. We got a game at 9:00"

The officer who made the error then stepped forward and copped to her mistake, before the father told her, "It could have went all wrong," before again breaking down in sobs. "I made a mistake. Whatever happens to me, I'll deal with that," the officer told him.

As one officer said his emotions were "very legitimate" and "justified," another cop on the scene told the family, "You cooperate, nothing's gonna happen. No one just randomly shoots somebody for no reason ... no one ever gets hurt if you cooperate." He also acknowledged it was a "traumatic situation."

The police department said the same day as the stop, "an incident review was initiated to determine what happened, how it was managed, and to evaluate what needed to be addressed to prevent this from happening in the future."

"A preliminary assessment provided guidance reemphasizing certain training points to include ensuring the accuracy of information entered by officers. An ongoing review will identify further changes to training, policies, and procedures," they added.

"We made a mistake," said Frisco Police Chief David Shilson. "Our department will not hide from its mistakes. Instead, we will learn from them. The officer involved quickly accepted responsibility for what happened, which speaks to integrity. I've spoken with the family. I empathize with them and completely understand why they're upset. I apologized on behalf of our department and assured them that we will hold ourselves accountable and provide transparency through the process. This incident does not reflect the high standard of service that our officers provide on a daily basis to our residents, businesses and visitors."

In a TikTok video shared by Heard following the incident, she said she had been crying all day.

"I can't make sense of it and why my son was treated that way ... It's not okay," she wrote. "I thank god that we were not physically injured, but we have suffered a lot of mental and emotional trauma from this. We have. Every time I see the video of my baby, I can't believe it."