On July 25, 2023, the Frisco Police Department announced a thorough examination of their officers' actions during a recent traffic stop. In a tweet, they acknowledged being aware of the information circulating on social media about the incident, expressing concerns over the procedures employed during the stop.
A video circulated on social media of a Frisco police officer holding a gun toward an individual. Demi Janale from Little Rock, Ark. reposted the video and wrote that her family was stopped by police. In the vehicle with her were her husband, son and nephew. The incident happened on July 23, 2023.
Update 7/31/23 – 10:00 a.m. Body-cam footage was released by the Frisco Police Department on July 28, 2023, which confirmed Janale's story. Police said in a statement that the officer entered the license place information for Az. instead of Ark. Police will continue to review and identify further changes to training, policies and procedures.
“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.”
The original story continues below.
“Please help me bring awareness to what has been a very traumatic experience for my family and I,” Janale said on TikTok. “A fun filled AAU basketball trip quickly turned into my family and I worst nightmare.”
Local Profile reached out to Janale for comment but did not receive a response prior to publishing. Frisco Police told Local Profile they are unable to release any information at this time, however, an information request was also filed.
In a following TikTok, Janale claims that her family, who was visiting from out of state, was followed by an officer for several minutes before being pulled over. Several other Frisco police cars arrived at the scene before reportedly telling Janale, who was driving, to step out of the car with her hands raised. Janale alleged that police warned that they would shoot her and her family if they did not cooperate.
Janale explained that once she exited the vehicle, other officers put her 13-year-old son in handcuffs and took him to one of the awaiting vehicles, while her husband and nephew remained in the vehicle. One of the officers is said to have told Janale her license plate was reported stolen. But, after rerunning the plate number, the officer allegedly told Janale the number initially ran was incorrect and police let the family leave.
“This has to stop,” Janale said. “We were completely humiliated and threatened to be shot without a given reason. The experience in itself was beyond frightening but seeing this video of my innocent baby has hurt me to my core.”
