The Tallahassee Police Department has released body cam vision of a recent traffic stop, after alarming footage surfaced of a toddler exiting a vehicle with her hands held high after her parents were pulled over, and police officers appearing to train their guns on the little girl.
Chad Bom and James McMullen were pulled over and arrested as shoplifting suspects in a shoplifting incident in Tallahassee, Florida last week.
Their arrest was filmed by onlookers and showed the two-year-old girl walking towards officers who had taken cover behind a vehicle and had drawn their guns.
"He is holding the gun at the baby," an onlooker is heard saying.
The video and commentary caused quite the stir on social media, prompting the City of Tallahassee Police Department to release a video on its Facebook page adding more context.
In the video, Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo walked viewers through police body cam footage that showed a different story.
Because there were reports the shoplifters had a weapon, police kept their weapons trained on the vehicle as the toddler climbed out, but did not point their guns at the toddler.
They then encouraged the girl to go to her mother, and allowed the mother to pick up and comfort her.
"You're OK, come here!" an officer is heard saying.
"Mummy's right there, go to Mummy, OK? She's right there, can you see her?"
The mother then scooped up the girl and comforted her.
There was also a one-year-old child in the back of the vehicle whom the mother was allowed to remove from a car seat.
A pellet gun was then recovered from the vehicle.
