Police Mistakenly Told Karen Robinson That Her Son Got Shot Dead Christmas Morning During Police Shootout

Karen Robinson had the worst Christmas in her life this year.

The Washington D.C. woman got a knock on the door at 2 am Christmas Day by two detectives, who said her son Raymond had been killed in a shootout with police.

She collapsed and broke down, and later called some family members to tell them the shocking news.

But a few hours later, at 10 am, Raymond called his mom to wish her a Merry Christmas.

'And I said ''who is this?' Mrs Robinson told NBC Washington.

'He said, ''Mom, this is Raymond''. I said, 'Boy, they said you died'.'

Then, an hour and a half later, Mrs Robinson received a call from the morgue, asking her to come and identify her son's body.

She informed them that won't be necessary.

By 6 pm, red-faced detectives were back at her door, to apologize and explain what happened.

Around 3 pm on Christmas Eve, police cornered the suspect of an armed robbery in southeast D.C.

The man opened fire, and the officers shot and killed him.

Authorities did not wait to properly identify the suspect after receiving a tip from the hospital about who the suspect was.

They concluded it was Raymond Robinson, and went about notifying his next of kin.

Mrs Robinson told NBC that she asked the detectives if they were sure it was her son.

They asked to see a photo of Raymond, and she had one on the mantle.

'And they said, ''Yes ma'aam, that's him'',' she said.

Mrs Robinson said she should never have had to go through that eight hours, believing her son was dead, all because of police cutting corners.

She said her family thought she was 'delusional' for telling them Raymond had died, only to have to take it back.

 'I think they should make a positive ID on a person before they come because anything could have happened,' she told NBC.

'I could have had a heart attack right here on this floor.'