( CNN ) Actress Taraji P. Henson is apologizing for claiming her son was racially profiled during a traffic stop in Southern California last year . The Glendale Police Department released dash cam video of the encounter Friday , which contradicted her son 's claims . Police released the footage after Henson commented about the alleged profiling in an Uptown Magazine interview published last month . In her interview , the star of the hit television show `` Empire '' said her son , Marcell Johnson , 20 , was racially profiled in Glendale and at the University of Southern California , where she accused campus police of stopping him for `` having his hands in his pockets . '' After her son 's claim , she vowed to send him to Howard University in Washington instead . `` I 'm not paying $ 50K so I ca n't sleep at night wondering is this the night my son is getting racially profiled on campus , '' she said . Even the University of Southern California stepped in , with its public safety director , John Thomas , saying he was disturbed by the report of the profiling , and was investigating it further . `` We encourage reporting of allegations of bias and I hope for the opportunity to have a conversation with the young man and his mother , '' Thomas said . But Henson retracted her accusations Friday , and publicly apologized to the Glendale Police Department . `` A mother 's job is not easy and neither is a police officer 's , '' she said in a post on Instagram . `` Sometimes as humans we overreact without gathering all of the facts . As a mother in this case I overreacted and for that I apologize . Thank you to that officer for being kind to my son . '' Police Chief Robert Castro said his agency researched the traffic stop after her comments to the magazine . The incident started when a Glendale officer pulled over Johnson in October for failing to yield to a pedestrian at a cross walk . During the traffic stop , Johnson admitted to having marijuana , an infraction and Ritalin without a prescription , a felony , according to Castro . He consented to a search of the vehicle , and officers found marijuana , honey oil ( concentrated marijuana ) , a marijuana grinder and a knife , Castro said . Johnson was not driving while impaired and was only cited for possession of marijuana , he said . `` Misinformation that was reported in the story in Uptown Magazine with Taraji P. Henson impairs and weakens the relationships between law enforcement and the communities , '' Castro said . The Glendale Police Department said Friday it appreciated Henson 's apology and is sharing it with its officers .
Glendale authorities release dash cam video of the encounter . It contradicts her son 's claims .