Tennessee Cops Raid Wrong Home, Point Guns at Naked Woman While Looking for Teen Suspect
Nashville officers tried to smooth things over with groceries. A traumatized Azaria Hines says what she really needs is "a peace of mind."
Three Tennessee officers have been decommissioned after raiding the wrong home with guns drawn and forcing a naked woman outside.
Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) raided the home of Azaria Hines last Tuesday, WSMV reports. The unclothed Hines was asleep on her sofa after a late shift when she heard a banging outside. When she realized the commotion was coming from officers, Hines later said, she asked them to hold on. Her calls were ignored.
Body camera footage from the raid shows Hines attempting to ask the officers to wait while they break her door down with a battery ram, which occurred fewer than 30 seconds after they shouted warnings.
Breaking: body camera video of botched raid released, shows Azaria Hines trying to talk to police as battering ram pummels the door. pic.twitter.com/CnweoIPeib
— Jeremy Finley (@JFinleyreports) August 19, 2020
After smashing the door frame, officers burst through the door with guns drawn at a naked Hines. Hines attempted to reach for a shirt, but was prevented from clothing herself. Armed police rushed through the home and forced Hines' 3-year-old nephew and 15-year-old cousin outside the home.
Several minutes later, the officers told Hines they had the wrong home.
The police were looking for a 16-year-old in connection with some vehicle burglaries. Interim Chief John Drake confirmed in a Wednesday press conference that the address MNPD used to serve the search warrant was outdated. The department obtained the information through the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, which has not provided updates on residents since 2018, due to privacy concerns. Hines had only lived in the apartment for six months, and she had no connection to the teen.
Lt. Harrison Dooley, Sgt. Jeff Brown, and Officer Michael Richardson are currently decommissioned pending an investigation. The department will also review its search warrant procedures.
The department attempted to smooth things over with Hines by dropping off groceries. Hines wasn't impressed by the gesture, saying: "Groceries isn't what I need. I need a peace of mind. I haven't had any sleep since this happened. I haven't had a whole night of sleep since this happened. I don't feel comfortable in my own home. My door is still not fixed all the way."
