Owners of mistakenly raided house suing police department - WMC Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

Owners of mistakenly raided house suing police department

It is a story you saw on Action News 5. A Raleigh woman's house raided by Memphis Police. She claims the cops picked the wrong place. Now, she is taking them to court.
    
"They should have done their homework and done it thoroughly before busting doors down like they did," homeowner Joselyn Boatwright said.

Boatwright and her son Sylvester said undercover cops stormed their house searching for drugs. 

"They yelled get down get down, and had me down on the ground in the hallway in handcuffs," Sylvester Boatwright said.

An officer's footprint on the front door is still visible.

"They put holes in the walls, kicked in two doors, then went outside and tore up the cars," attorney Jay Bailey said.

Bailey is their attorney.

"I mean, these are working people who have never had problems in their entire lives," Bailey said.

Bailey filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis on the Boatwright's behalf. It claims police officers picked the wrong house and quote, "they left without apology and continued to cuss, threaten, and scream at the plaintiffs."

Neighbor J.W. Driver has known the Boatwright family for years.

"There's no way that anybody could think these people are selling drugs. No way," Driver said.

In fact, Bailey says Joselyn Boatwright is an evangelist with the Church of God in Christ.

"I mean, they tore this woman's home up and cops running around with guns in front of all her neighbors," Bailey said.

The suit seeks $350,000 for damages, distress, and destruction of Boatwright's reputation.    
     
According to a search warrant, the Boatwright house was picked after an informant claimed he bought drugs at the home.

Memphis Police had no comment regarding the lawsuit.

Click here to e-mail Jason Miles.