Homeowner Shoots 2 Officers Who Served Warrant at Wrong Address

Police-raid

District Heights, MD, homeowner shoots two police officers who broke in his front door at around 10:30 Wednesday night.

The officers of Prince George’s County Police (PGCP) were there to serve a drug related search warrant, but they had the wrong apartment.

The officers knocked on the front door announcing themselves. Hearing no response, they used a tool to pry the door open.

That’s when the unidentified home owner, who had been asleep in front of the TV with his daughter, opened fire with a shotgun.

One officer was shot in the hand and the other in the arm. Another officer shot back with one round but fortunately missed.

PGCP Chief Hank Stawinski said the resident surrendered immediately on learning the intruders were the police.

According to Stawinski:

“The individual that we are targeting does not live at that address … a law-abiding, hard-working citizen of Prince George’s County and his daughter were home at the point where we were executing that search warrant.”

Watch a video of the situation:

The Chief went on to apologize for the error and say the PGCP have halted executing search warrants in order to review the departments procedures.

Both wounded officers were flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center but PGCP spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan told reporters on Thursday that neither had life threatening injuries.

The officer who was wounded in the hand was released while the other is staying at the hospital for surgery to his arm.

No criminal charges will be filed against the father.

Chief Stawinski said:

“The man acted to protect himself and his daughter through what he believed to be a threat of home invasion, it would be inappropriate to hold this gentleman criminally responsible for his actions.”

Serving a warrant at the wrong house is a bad situation for everyone involved. What do you think of this?

Leave us a comment below to let us know.

5 Comments

  1. Kenneth Glover on October 11, 2018 at 7:08 pm

    This is very much like the recent case in Dallas where the Police officer entered the wrong apartment, thinking it was hers and shot and killed the resident. She’s lucky she didn’t have the same encounter as these 2 officers. We need to really be on our toes as we are not only up against the criminal element that may do us harm, as well as the mistakes of the people whose job it is to protect us. Train hard, train smart!

  2. David Galloway on October 11, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    The PG police chief should be commended for his prompt response and actions on behalf of the homeowner. This should serve as a good learning experience for all police agencies. Mis-takes are sometimes made, as in this case. But the chief has taken responsibility, Hoping the injured officers heal up quickly.

  3. scott palmer on October 12, 2018 at 5:05 pm

    On my private posted property (see sign on tree), we live under the common law. (see sign on my front door) That warrant better be a wet ink warrant signed by a judge in good standing with an affidavit attached from a victim claiming harm. Also the officer better have a bond in case he damages me in the public. If any of those are not present, the warrant is invalid. In common law, you don’t file a claim against the officer. He has qualified immunity. You file it against the man who harmed you. Once you start going after the personal assets, mistakes start going away.When you pay personally instead of the tax payers, things change. Hope the officers heal quickly. Cringe to think what usually happens. The cops usually open up and don’t stop until they are empty. The father and the daughter could be at the morgue all for a wrong address for a warrant that 100 years ago would be unlawful. Common law is a superior court of record. Statutes and codes cannot be brought into common law. Common law never changes. If I have not violated someones person, property or rights, I have committed no crime. Statutory law codified makes you have to wake up every day and wonder what is against the law today.

  4. Shakahyah on October 3, 2020 at 2:22 pm

    I do not understand this matter at all! What if the daughter and the dad would had lost their life due to a BIG ERROR ON THE POLICE CALL !!!a WRONG ADDRESS??WOW!!You have to be crazy!!what if ???I believe the police/cops would had brushed it under the covers if they would had destroyed their lives
    ..This world especially our protection of corruption is totally out of control and as evil as evil can get . I do not trust them anymore and have lost respect in levels of protection.if I was that man I would had shot as well to protect my child

  5. Jason Miller on February 15, 2022 at 1:50 am

    It would be inappropriate to hold this man criminally responsible for his actions because they weren’t criminal actions. He defined his house against armed home invaders.

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