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Three Metro Nashville Police Officers have been decommissioned after they raided the wrong house with an innocent family inside, police chief John Drake announced at a Wednesday press release.
Bodycam footage showed armed officers forcing their way through the front door at 6:05 am, the mother of the family can be heard in the background responding to officers before they rammed their way in.
Apparently, police were looking for a 16 old-year-old boy, who was wanted in connection to a string of vehicle burglaries and was believed to be at that address.
“No innocent family in Nashville, anywhere, should be subjected to what the mother and her two children went through on Tuesday morning,” Chief Drake said. “They were awakened by a team of officers who banged on their door and ultimately knocked it in with a ram. It appears that the mother was not given the proper time to come to the door before it was breached.”
“It also appears that the West Precinct did not exercise due diligence in confirming that the 16-year-old who was the subject of the search warrant even lived at that apartment,” Drake added. “In light of this scenario, we will be conducting a review of our search warrant processes and provide whatever updated training is necessary to help ensure that Tuesday’s scenario is not repeated.”
The family has been living at the location for 4 months and had changed the locks; therefore, the officers couldn’t use the keys they had.
“There appears to have been a lack of confirming through other means, including surveillance or checking with human sources, that the 16-year-old lived there,” Drake said. “We have to be better than that, and I absolutely assure you, we will be moving forward.”
“I’m greatly disturbed by the video you just viewed. In all candor, this shouldn’t have happened. This mother and her children should not have been subjected to this type of behavior by our police department,” the chief added. Drake also faulted the officers for not allowing the family enough time to respond before they entered.
“They did knock,” he said. “They did, to a degree, make an announcement, but it was not acceptable at all.” The chief said he regrets the incident that occurred and said he will keep working with the family.
The three suspended officers were identified as Jeff Brown, Harrison Dooley, and Michael Richardson. An officer of professional accountability will conduct an investigation into their actions, WTVF-TV noted.
