Knock, knock? Whoops!

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Annapolis police raided the wrong apartment Wednesday night, using flash grenades and kicking a resident in the groin before they realized their mistake, police and the family said.
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Police spokesman Hal Dalton said something must have gone amiss in the briefing beforehand. "We don't know how the mistake was made," Dalton said.

Silvia Bernal, 30, told The (Annapolis) Capital that about 15 officers burst through the front door of her apartment while she was cooking dinner about 8:20 p.m. She said the officers kicked her husband in the groin while she fled into a bedroom and barred the door with her body.

Then she said both of them were taken to the ground and handcuffed. The Capital said a police officer went outside and realized they had raided the wrong residence.

Dalton said they were supposed to have raided a different apartment and said the incident was regrettable.

Spa Cove apartment manager Latisha Marshall says there is a large dent in the front door. And she said there are two large black stains from the flash-bang grenades police deployed after entering the apartment.

When officers and the city's tactical squad went to the right unit, they said it was empty.

 

Geezus! Isn't that a kick in the nuts? ;D

 

Let us know when the follow-up runs; which will include the Annapolis Police Department getting the multi-million dollar lawsuit it so richly deserves.

 

This happens so frequently that it barely qualifies as news, unfortunately. (http://www.cato.org/raidmap/)

And a recent Supreme Court ruling will only embolden lazy cops (http://www.reason.com/blog/show/120331.html)

An hour or two of surveillance could eliminate errors and lead to easy, non-violent arrests when the target is going to work, walking his dog, getting the mail, etc. But that would mean that cops wouldn't be able to dress up and play Rambo, and we couldn't have that.

 

Thanks for that map. Good stuff.

And considering how many innocent deaths occur from these botched raids, maybe they ALL should be bigger news.

 

I understand raiding the wrong apartment, but did they have to kick the guy in the junk?

 

I guess they wanted to make a point?

 

Kicking someone in the shins isn't very manly. Where's your pride, Bob?