An elderly District couple is suing the Metropolitan Police Department for $1 million for allegedly raiding the wrong apartment during a drug search. The lawsuit filed by 68-year-old Danny Costello and his wife, Gai Nguyen, claim that D.C. police failed to double-check the address before breaking down their door and barging in with guns drawn. Police did not find what they were looking for and one of the officers was overheard wondering out loud whether they officers got the wrong apartment, the suit states.
“Before attempting to execute the search warrant, the police officers had a duty to make sure that they were executing the warrant only for the apartment listed in the warrant. But the officers did not do this,” the lawsuit said.
D.C. spokeswoman Gwendolyn Grump said she could not comment on ongoing litigation.
According to the lawsuit filed in federal court:
On April 9, 2010, Costello was working on his air conditioner window unit and his wife was taking a nap in the bedroom when about 10 D.C. police officers knocked down their door and forced their way in with guns drawn.
One police officer put a gun to Costello’s head, twisted his arm and handcuffed him and restricted him to the couch, the lawsuit said.
When Nguyen came out of her bedroom and asked what was the matter, another police officer pushed her against the wall and then outside of the apartment, keeping here there for about 45 minutes to an hour.
One of the officers told Costello, “Let’s save time, where is the stuff?”
Costello replied, “What is the stuff?” The officer said, “Drugs.” Costello told him they were in the drawer.
When the officer looked in the drawer, he said, “Not the prescription drugs.”
Police continued searching for about an hour and a half but they did not find what they were looking for. On the way out, one of the other officers told a fellow officer, “Maybe we got the wrong door,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit said the couple did not have an apartment number on their door and police executed the warrant without taking the proper steps to make sure it was the right apartment.
