SEATTLE — A Seattle resident is suing the City of Seattle after four police officers allegedly and unjustifiably broke down her Belltown apartment door in November 2020.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was in her First Avenue apartment when the officers entered her apartment and "seized her with drawn firearms." The plaintiff had "done nothing to justify" the officers' actions and they had "no reasonable grounds to believe she had."
Around 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2020, the officers, who have not been criminally charged, were responding to an incident involving a different person who lived in another building, according to the lawsuit.
A spokesperson for the city would not provide a comment due to pending litigation.
"Their actions put [the plaintiff] in mortal fear that she was going to be assaulted or killed in this incident through no fault of her own," the lawsuit states.
At the time, the plaintiff was preparing to take a bath. When officers entered her apartment, they were shouting commands and "trained one or more firearms on her," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges the officers violated the woman's Fourth Amendment rights by searching the apartment without a warrant or reasonable basis for believing that entering the plaintiff's home was justified.
The city is being sued for full compensatory damages, including physical injuries and emotional distress; punitive damages and other relief deemed justified by the court.
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