Erica McLean, a school trustee in Prince George, British Columbia, experienced a traumatic incident on Tuesday when she parked her vehicle to send an email after picking up a coffee. As she was poised to write, an unmarked police car collided with the front of her Volkswagen. Initially, she thought the police were trying to park but was soon shocked when multiple officers surrounded her vehicle with guns drawn, demanding that she put her hands up.
Feeling a wave of fear, McLean became acutely aware of her cellphone, recognizing that any sudden movement could potentially put her life in jeopardy. She stated, "I did feel like my life was at risk at this point, so I held my hands up and I was trying to understand what was happening." Following these commands, she placed her phone down, exited the vehicle, and was handcuffed. In that moment, overwhelmed with emotion, she began to cry and felt as though she was having a panic attack.
According to McLean, officers informed her that her vehicle had been reported stolen. However, after a few moments, they began to notice her distress and subsequently confirmed the car was indeed hers, leading to her release from handcuffs. Although they apologized for the misunderstanding, McLean expressed that she has been riding an emotional "roller-coaster" since the event. "I go through moments of anxiety, anger, fear," she noted, reflecting on the challenging week she has endured.
Following the incident, McLean posted her ordeal on Facebook, where she described the fear she experienced as "terrifying." Although the Prince George Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) did not directly comment on her claims, they released a statement later that week explaining the situation. The police had mistaken McLean's vehicle during a search for a 2025 Volkswagen Taos reported stolen the previous day, which they believed was linked to a local crime syndicate.
The police's statement detailed that the street crew unit engaged in what they deemed a high-risk vehicle stop, as they thought the occupants of McLean's vehicle were associated with a known criminal group. Soon after detaining McLean, authorities determined she was not the person they were pursuing, and she was released. Sgt. Dan Morris, the commander of the street crew unit, later reached out to McLean to explain the situation and offered support from the victim services unit.
McLean drives a black 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan, which resembles the stolen vehicle police were seeking. Throughout the incident, she questioned the overwhelming force used against her. "That small margin of a few seconds that determined that I was this level of risk to public safety, therein lies that tiny little margin of space where I have a world of questions," she remarked, emphasizing her confusion over the intense response to what she views as a mere similarity in vehicles.
While she acknowledges that police officers have protocols to follow, the experience has left her with many lingering concerns. "I think to myself that’s not good enough if it’s similar, because there was a moment where it was determined that I looked like a risk to public safety warranted to that level of response." Since the incident, McLean has actively sought help and expressed gratitude for the support she has received from her community.
Reflecting on her struggles, she stated, "While I’m still struggling, I know that there can be meaningful conversation from this. This happened to me, and I’m not OK with it, and it’s very important for me to lean into that right now." Ultimately, the repercussions of the incident have had a profound impact on her emotional state and her view of police practices in situations involving mistaken identity.
