Rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z is supporting the legal battle for a mum and dad who were held at gunpoint by police after their daughter allegedly stole a toy from a shop.
The charitable arm of the billionaire singer's label, Roc Nation, has employed a powerful attorney to take on the case which will see the couple sue the city of Phoenix, Arizona, for $10million.
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Dravon Ames, 22, and Aisha Harper, 24, filed a notice claim on Thursday which accused officers of battery, false arrest, unlawful imprisonment and causing emotional distress.
A notice claim is a legal document used to start law suit proceedings.
The city's police department has also been accused of violating the young parents' civil rights.
Roc Nation's managing director of philanthropy, Dania Diaz, slammed the police force.
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She said: "There is no place for that behaviour in our world - let alone our justice system - and we are calling for the immediate termination of the police officers in question.
"We are committed to supporting the family to ensure that justice is served."
At the time of the arrest, police accused the couple's four-year-old daughter of stealing a $1 doll from a store.
A shocking video released from the arrest in May, shows officers pointing their guns at a pregnant Ms Harper, who is carrying her one-year-old child in her arms.
Cops can then be heard telling her partner, Mr Ames: "I'm gonna put a fucking cap in your fucking head."
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One officer also shouts: "You're gonna fucking get shot."
Speaking about the incident last week, Mr Ames told the Phoenix New Times: "We're thinking we're gonna get shot cause he kept threatening, 'I'm gonna shoot you in the face'. We were so scared.
"A police officer, we don't know who he is, a guy, random guy came up to the door banging on the window with a gun, says he's going to shoot us in our face, telling us to get out of the car. He hasn't alerted us that we're being pulled over anything.
"If you look at the video pretty good I'm snatched out the car and I fly back and that's when he grabs me out the car. My hands were up the whole time."
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According to reports, police were responding to an alleged theft at the Family Dollar store, but the two parents maintain that didn't know their elder daughter had taken anything from the shop.
Jay Z's legal team has hired famous attorney Alex Spiro to head up the legal battle - pro bono - and demanded that the officers involved in the arrest are kicked off the force.
Over the weekend, chief of police Jeri Williams apologised to the family for the incident which she called 'unacceptable'.
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Speaking to KPNX-TV, she said: "What we saw in that video isn't in keeping with good policing, it's unacceptable.
"I apologized to the family for the interaction and to be honest with you, I'm apologizing to the community too because that is not what should have happened in that circumstance."
"Having been a cop for 30 years, you kind of sit back and say, 'What was going on?' That's what we need to address."
Ms Williams went on to say that she was in total agreement with the wider community in its shock and disappointment with how the family was treated.
She added: "I am with everyone in the community who is angry, who is outraged, I have officers out there who are angry and outraged to see this is what brush we are being painted with when I know we that we're better than that, I know this department is better than that, I know our community is better than that but at the end of the day I have to take responsibility and be accountable."
It's alleged that officers injured the couple's one-year-old daughter during the incident, but police have said none of the family members sustained any injuries and other stolen items were found in the car.
In a statement on the department's Facebook page, it said: "On June 11, 2019, we were provided video of an officer taking two individuals into custody while investigating a shoplifting incident in the area of 3200 East Roosevelt Street.
"This occurred after the suspect vehicle was stopped a short distance from the scene of the theft. It involved a man and a woman with two small children.
"The Phoenix Police Department takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and for this reason, this incident is currently being investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau."
Featured Image Credit: PA
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