Iowa family demands police apology after 13-year-old son was mistakenly identified as car thief
DAVENPORT, Iowa (WQAD) — Thirteen year old Jonathan Ingram will never be the same after he was mistaken for a car thief.
Early Wednesday morning Jonathan was walking to a gas station to buy a drink. He says police then stopped him and questioned him since he was wearing a black coat reportedly similar to their suspect’s.
Jonathan Ingram’s parents posted a video after the incident and it’s gone viral. The video has nearly 33,000 views and was shared more than 1,200 times.
The Davenport Police Department have now also released body camera footage showing an officer calling Jonathan’s mother.
The officer explains why the boy was stopped.
Police then pass the phone to Jonathan, who’s sitting in the back of a squad car with the door open.
His mom, Jessica Horton, says she could hear how upset her son was on the phone.Customer demands require complex solutions.Explore new business models based on integrated partner ecosystems that infuse financial services throughout customers’ daily lives.Ad By IBMSee More
About nine minutes into the video, officers realize their mistake and say they’re going to drop him off at school.
Now, the family wants Davenport Police to apologize.
Officers only asked him questions and Jonathan was never put in handcuffs. But Jonathan’s father, Donnie Ingram, says the incident was still traumatizing.
That’s when, as parents, they took to social media, posting the video to Facebook.
Davenport Police said in a statement that they “recognize that the student was shaken by this interaction and understands the frustration felt by his parents.”
“Chief Paul Sikorski has taken proactive steps, including meeting with the student’s family to discuss what happened. We are committed to working together toward a community where all citizens feel safe and respected.”
Photo Credit: WQAD