Biff_Poindexter
Diamond Member
Black realtor, clients sue Michigan city after they were mistakenly handcuffed by police during showing
The incident happened on Aug. 1, when realtor Eric Brown was showing a home to a client and his 15-year-old son in Wyoming, Mich. and police arrived responding to a report of a home invasion.
www.nydailynews.com
"A man, his 15-year-old son, and their real estate agent have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Wyoming, Michigan and its police department after they were mistakenly handcuffed during a home showing earlier this year. The episode happened on Aug. 1, when Eric Brown was showing a house to Roy Thorne and his son, referred to as S.T. in court papers. According to the lawsuit, a neighbor called 911 saying that “an alleged squatter, a young Black man, who had been arrested on July 24, 2021 had returned” to the home. Shortly after the call, officers entered the house and ordered the three men to come out of the home, with their hands up, before handcuffing them."
This seems like an innocent mistake as the officers were only responding to what the 911 caller alleged. Furthermore, how was the 911 caller supposed to know that this wasn't the same squatter arrested a few weeks ago, returning back with more squatters? Now, does a report of squatters call for 5 or 6 police cars surrounding the house with guns drawn? Maybe not, depends on their procedures....but the good thing is, no one was hurt, the men cooperated and once it was verified they were not bad guys; they were released....I anticipate this lawsuit will not get far.