Chicago Police Apologize for Breaking Down Door of Wrong House

Chicago Police broke a door down on Thursday and entered the house with a search warrant, which turned out to be for the wrong house.

Shanae Cross says she and her family were having a quiet night in when the noise started, and her mother made a break for the bathroom to hide.

“My mom just started screaming and hollering and ran to the bathroom and said, ‘Somebody is kicking down the door,’” she said. She told ABC 7 she then turned around and found her front door in ruins. Officers stood in the doorway with their guns pointed at her.

“Next thing you know when I’m looking there’s guns in my face,” she said. “Just guns drawn out, ‘Get outta here, who’s in here with you?’ Just a bunch of questions,” she said. “I’m like, ‘What the hell is you doing in my house? Who are you, why are you in my house?’ Then I realize when I see the vests and all, this is the police.”

The police presented Cross with a warrant, but they had gotten the address wrong.

“‘Where is the warrant and for what address,’” Cross says she asked them. “One of the guys goes, ‘8203,’ and I’m like, ‘This is 8209 you f—— idiot. You’re in the wrong house!’”

That’s when Cross started livestreaming on Facebook Live. The video is private for now as Cross sorts out her legal issues with the department, but she told reporters that the police were filling out paperwork shortly after they realized their mistake. They apologized and promised to replaced the door.

“I’ll give you a call as soon as I’m done with the paperwork,” an officer says in her video. “The city adjuster will call you and they’ll come out immediately. Especially because it’s a residential house.”

By Friday afternoon, Cross still had no report from the police. She says she’s spoken with multiple officials from the department, and they’ve all apologized profusely, but no one can say exactly when they’ll be fixing her front door.

“You can see they bombarded their way in here,” Cross said to local reporters. “Right now, this doesn’t lock, turn, twist.” Cross is unable to lock her door, leaving her feeling even more unsafe after the jarring holiday intrusion.