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The baby boy was taken away after a 3 a.m. traffic stop.
The couple told NJ Advance Media they nervously complied with officers’ orders prior to the traffic stop escalating.
A deputy told them they were pulled over on a road in Troy, N.C. because they had a white tail light, Boulware said.
When a deputy told them officers were going to search the van, Sykes asked them why and raised concerns that it was unlawful to do so.
That’s when the traffic stop took a turn, the couple said.
The couple said they were forcefully removed from the car. Sykes said he raised his arms in the air as soon as the officer opened his door. An officer swung his baton at his face, Sykes said, but he blocked it with his arm, resulting in bruises. Boulware said both officers drew their guns on her husband as his back was turned.
There is no body cam video. No dashboard footage. Only the couple’s word against the word of the police. Such cases have often been considered open and shut with the official police narrative serving as final authority. But Sykes and Boulware, both Black, say they’re desperately trying to prove their account is correct while simultaneously fighting to win back custody of their son, named Truth.
