A cop pointed a gun at a mum and dad and threatened to shoot them in front of their children - after their four-year-old daughter walked out of a store with a doll.
Shocking footage shows Aisha Harper, 24, and her partner Dravon Ames being confronted by police.
Mr Ames, 22, has revealed he feared he would be "executed" in front of his family, and the clip has caused outrage around the world.
The clip from Phoenix, Arizona, shows an officer tell pregnant Ms Harper: "I'm going to shoot you in your f****** face."
She had a one-year-old child in her arms at the time.
An investigation has been launched after the mobile phone footage of the incident - which happened on May 27 - emerged.
The couple plan to launch a $10m (£7.8m) lawsuit against the city, according to reports in the US.
Rapper Jay Z is paying their legal costs, though neither of the parents were arrested or charged.
Mr Ames said, the Phoenix New Times reports : "I thought we were all going to be executed.
"I haven't been able to sleep at night.
"I stay up all night and it just keeps flashing back — the gun, a barrel being pointed at my face. I just keep seeing that same thing over and over and over."
And he said he was horrified that it happened in front of his young daugther, telling ABC News : "No kid should ever see that, nor should she see terror like that."
The couple were confronted by police outside their home, hours after the alleged shoplifting.
Police chief Jeri Williams said she had apologised to the family.
Officers claimed in the aftermath that they thought the couple were armed.
After the couple spoke publicly about what had happened, police released CCTV footage appearing to show Mr Ames shoplifting a pair of socks, and his four-year-old daughter taking a doll.
The CCTV was taken at a Family Dollar store in Phoenix, but was branded a "smear" by the couple.
Attorney Sandra Slaton, who is representing the couple, said even if they were guilty of shoplifting "it still would not justify the horrific, barbaric action of this police department."
