Local police pepper-sprayed a teenager entering his foster family's home on Monday afternoon after being mistaken as a culprit following neighbors' reports about a possible burglary in the area.

Eighteen-year-old DeShawn Currie explained that he is gradually "getting over it" though his eyes still sting from the pepper spray. He claims that his heart is most hurt after being mistaken to be a burglar in his family's home in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.

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According to reports, the teenager came home from school on Monday when a couple of police officers were also responding to a 911 call about a burglary in the neighborhood.

After finding the door to Currie's home ajar, three of the responding police officers entered the house. Upon seeing the barefoot 5-foot-8-tall teen wearing only tank top and shorts inside, the officers immediately barked orders.

Confused, Currie explained to the officers that it was his home when one of them told him to shut up after seeing framed photographs displaying white family members. 

"I did everything that they asked," explained the baffled teen. 

Noting that Currie was an African-American, one of the officers asked Currie where his picture was to prove that he really lived there.

With the question hitting a nerve, the teen snapped and responded loudly, Currie's foster mother Stacy Tyler recounted.

After he became "threatening" and "belligerent", the officers sprang into action and attacked him with pepper spray.

In a prepared statement on Wednesday, Raleigh police officers claimed that Currie "became very volatile, profane and threatened physical violence toward the police officer".

"Mr. Currie became increasingly belligerent and profane and the police officer attempted to restrain Mr. Currie with handcuffs to insure the police officer's and Mr. Currie's safety. Mr. Currie then struck the police officer's left arm knocking the handcuffs to the floor," stated the Fuquay-Varina Police Department adding that they do not condone racial profiling.

Tagsteen, Burglar, pepper spray