'There's a pregnant woman in the car!': Police fire pepper bombs at black civilians

Trigger Warning: Racism, Police Brutality, Gun Violence, Disturbing Footage

Police officials in Denver, Colorado, fired pepper bombs at the car of a black civilian and his girlfriend when they got blocked on the street due to the ongoing protests in the city. The man, Shaiitarrio Brown, and his pregnant fiancée Brittany King were not part of the protests themselves. A video of the exchange went viral online and an internal investigation into the matter has since been launched by Denver Police Department Chief Paul Pazen, The Denver Channel reports. In an interview, the couple revealed that their skin still itches and burns when they enter the car.

The video was recorded on May 29, during the second night of demonstrations in protest against the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a white police officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, Derek Chauvin. In the video, Shaiitarrio can be seen double-parked on an empty street with police officers surrounding him. He asks police if they really shot at him and his car when his pregnant girlfriend was seated inside. The police do not respond. Then, agitated, Shaiitarrio states, "I ain’t going nowhere! Shoot it again." Instead of exercising caution and attempting to deescalate the situation, the police officers fire multiple shots of pepper bombs at the car. Screams can be heard. The man shouts again, "There is a pregnant woman in the car!" He finally gets back in the car and drives off.

In an interview with the two victims of police aggression, it was revealed that the couple was simply trying to deliver a pizza through the phone delivery app DoorDash. "I was scared," pregnant fiancée Brittany stated. "I didn’t know what to think. I know I had my window down and when the first shots came in, it hit my hand because I tried to cover my face." Before the person behind the camera began recording, the police fired multiple shots at the car, which is why they pulled over in the first place. That was when the exchange happened. Now, they still have to confront the consequences every time they use their car. Shaiitarrio shared, "Sitting in (the car) now, days later, we still burn and still itch from having to sit in it."

In response to the incident, Denver Police Department Chief Pazen announced that there is currently an investigation into the matter underway. Pazen is listed as the complainant of the case; the couple is yet to file a formal complaint, The Denver Post reports. The DPD stated in a tweet, "Regarding the viral video where officers shoot pepper balls at a vehicle stopped in traffic, DPD is aware of the incident and an investigation into the matter is ongoing. Chief Pazen is listed as the complainant in this case as the persons featured in the video have not come forward or filed a formal complaint." This is only one of many cases of police aggression and brutality that the DPD has been accused of. Hopefully, the couple receives swift justice.