Family shocked as Chicago police break down door in raid on wrong house
CHICAGO, Illinois -- Police burst into a home Friday morning with guns drawn, serving a search warrant and looking for criminals. The only problem is, they had the wrong house.
"This is how the door looks. You can see they bombarded their way in here," said homeowner Shanae Cross.
The front door of Cross' home in the south side of Chicago is now unusable.
"Right now, this doesn't lock, turn, twist," she said.
The raid happened late Thursday night.
"My mom just started screaming and hollering and ran to the bathroom and said, 'Somebody is kicking down the door,'" Cross said.
Completely confused and caught off guard inside her own home, Cross turned around.
"Next thing you know, when I'm looking there's guns in my face. Just guns drawn out, 'Get outta here, who's in here with you?' Just a bunch of questions," Cross 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."
Cross said she soon turned the questions on them.
"Where is the warrant and for what address," Cross said. "One of the guys goes, '8203' and I'm like 'This is 8209, you ****ing idiot. You're in the wrong house!'"
Shortly after that, Cross started livestreaming on Facebook as a police officer filled out paperwork, apologizing.
"I'll give you a call as soon as I'm done with the paperwork. The city adjuster will call you and they'll come out immediately. Especially because it's a residential house," the officer says on her Facebook Live.
But by Friday afternoon, Cross had no report from police.
"I didn't ask for y'all to run up in my house, disrespect us, treat us like suspects," she said.
Cross said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson and the commander of the unit have both personally apologized to her over the phone and in person. But she said their mistake has left her home exposed and unprotected.
Cross said Johnson and the unit commander both personally promised to expedite the process of fixing her broken door, but can't tell her exactly when it will be repaired.
