North Carolina Foster Teen Pepper Sprayed In Own Home After Police Mistakes Him For Home Intruder

A North Carolina foster teen was pepper sprayed in his own home after police mistook the boy for a home intruder.

18-year-old DeShawn Currie, who is African American, has lived with Ricky and Stacy Tyler and their three children for a year, and the family had just recently moved to Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, a town just south of Raleigh.

On Oct. 6, Stacy Tyler left the side door unlocked for Currie, who was getting out of school early that day, according to Raleigh ABC affiliate WTVD. The Fuquay-Varina Police Department told WTVD that they received a 911 call from a neighbor who reported a break-in at the home.

Soon after, to the surprise of Currie, three officers burst inside the home. Currie described the ordeal to WTVD:

“They was like, ‘Put your hands on the door!’ I was like, ‘For what? This is my house.’ I was like, ‘Why are y’all in here?'”

The officers pointed out the pictures of the family, who are white, assuming that Currie was trying to burglarize the home. Currie then got into an argument with the officers, and that is when one of the officers pepper sprayed Currie.

When the EMS was treating Currie in the driveway, Stacy came home and cleared up the misunderstanding with the officers, but according to WTVD, the family did not understand why the police barged into the house. Stacy told WTVD:

“My 5-year-old last night, she looked at me and said, ‘Mama I don’t understand why they hated our brother, and they had to come in and hurt him'”

The Tyler’s said that although the family is still trying to get to known their neighborhoods, the family is still hurt by the fact that someone would profile their foster son. Stacy further said:

“He’s my baby boy just as much as my other three children are.”

No charges have been filed.

[Photo Credit: Photopin]