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A 25-year-old pregnant woman in Colorado says an officer hurt her stomach when he gave her a pat-down while searching for a gun after a Friday afternoon trip to Target.
Jazzmin Downs told Denver station KUSA she was attempting to use a coupon for Dove shampoo and conditioner at the store in Aurora resulting in her being searched for a gun that she never had.
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In a video circulating online, Downs is seen being pat-down by an officer outside of the store as she states that the search made her feel uncomfortable. This followed her attempt to use the coupon at check out minutes earlier.
“I was never a threat,” Downs told the local station. “There was never any concern of me having a gun, but you see my hand in my pocket, and you yelled gun, and you guys rushed me.”
Downs stated the coupon she presented was denied by a cashier, which led to speaking with a manager who did not even attempt to examine the coupon but instead asked her to leave the store. When asked about the refusal of service, security and police were called on her.
A Target spokesperson told the station the guest was “angry and aggressive,” which Downs said she was defensive and left the store to contact corporate officials.
Outside of the store, she encountered an officer who she stated she engaged in a more calm conversation and included jokes about needing coupons to help buy dog food. But shortly after, he entered the store to speak with employees additional officers responded to the store, who she spoke with while holding her purse with one arm and her hand in her pocket to keep her jeans up because she had to unzip them due to her pregnancy.
“I was still explaining to them what was going on and then he yelled at me stating get my hand out of my pocket and I look at him confused,” she said. “When I took my hand out of my pocket, I took the lining with me to show him there was nothing in my pocket, and I put my hand up. Well, that wasn’t obviously good enough for him and he yelled that they had to search for a gun.”
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She was rushed from that point, which resulted in her stomach being squeezed and an officer stating “You’re making me nervous when you reach inside your pocket like that.” Another officer stated they did not know what the response to the scene was for.
“All I want is an answer as to why they did what they did,” Downs said. “They violated me as a human. They violated me as a mother. They violated me as a pregnant woman.”
In response, Aurora Police state the officers acted properly but will examine policies for pat-downs of pregnant women in the future.