Georgetown cops were looking for armed suspect. They pulled guns on innocent driver, family
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- Georgetown Police released body‑worn camera video of a controversial traffic stop.
- Officers conducted a felony traffic stop while searching for a reported man with a.
- Officers and a Scott County sergeant drew guns and released the unarmed driver.
The Georgetown Police Department has released body-worn camera videos of a controversial traffic stop in which officers pointed a gun at an innocent man and his family.
The traffic stop happened Sunday, June 21, while officers were looking for an armed man. Police said dispatch received a 911 call about a man with a shotgun on Bourbon Street, and the caller gave dispatch a description of the suspect and their vehicle.
The caller did not share the vehicle’s license plate number or where the vehicle was going, according to police.
Officers ultimately found a vehicle they believed matched the description provided by the caller and conducted a traffic stop, police said. Body-worn camera footage from a Georgetown police sergeant shows the sergeant arriving at the traffic stop as a female officer makes the driver back up while pointing a gun at him.
The driver cooperated with the officer’s demands, and could be heard saying, “I don’t want you to point a gun at my kids.” The driver, who was unarmed, told the sergeant that he and his family had just returned from the Ark Encounter in Williamstown.
Body-worn camera footage from a Scott County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, who was assisting Georgetown police during the traffic stop, shows the sergeant pointing a gun at the driver’s vehicle while the driver is backing up to the officers.
The sheriff’s office sergeant drew his gun immediately after stepping out of his cruiser, and at one point changed position to take cover behind his cruiser. The sheriff’s office sergeant continued pointing his gun at the vehicle until it was determined the driver was not the armed suspect.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were in the car, though family members said it was three people in addition to the driver.
Family seeks ‘accountability’
DeAndrick Bernabe, the driver who was involved in the traffic stop, said on Facebook he was disappointed with the encounter. He said he was visiting his grandma and was thankful no one was hurt during the traffic stop.
“I’ve been coming around there my whole life and never thought I’d experience something like that, especially with my family present,” Bernabe said in a Facebook post.
MaQuoia Bernabe, who says she’s DeAndrick Bernabe’s sister, said the video provided by Georgetown police only shows the story “that best supports their actions.” She said the police department needs to review the incident and its training practices related to officer situational awareness.
“Accountability is not anti-police. Expecting better judgment is not anti-police. Wanting innocent families to be treated with dignity and respect is not anti-police. It’s about making sure what happened to my family doesn’t happen to someone else’s,” MaQuoia Bernabe said in a Facebook post.
Georgetown police responds
In the video, the Georgetown police sergeant explained that the officer pulled him over because his vehicle matched the description of the suspect’s vehicle. The sergeant told the driver they had limited information to work with, and the driver remained cooperative during the entire encounter.
“Y’all feel free to check the car, but my baby is in there,” the driver told the sergeant.
The driver was released after officers determined he was not the armed suspect.
“You didn’t do anything wrong man, you’re good,” the sergeant tells the driver.
Georgetown police said a felony traffic stop is standard procedure when a firearm is involved in an incident, and officers are required to draw their weapons during such a stop. The procedure is “designed to protect both the public and the individuals being stopped.”
The body-worn camera video from the Georgetown officer who initiated the traffic stop was not provided.
Georgetown police apologized for the encounter while saying that their officers remained calm and professional during the traffic stop.
“We understand this was a frightening experience for this family, and we are sorry that they were caught up in this situation through no fault of their own,” Georgetown police said in a statement. “We take that seriously.”
The officers weren’t identified, and neither the police department nor the sheriff’s office immediately said whether involved officers could face discipline.
Police also didn’t say whether they found the suspect from the original 911 call.
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 11:18 AM.
