Elizabeth Rehn sues Seattle after terrifying raid on her home when cops broke down her door – only to find they were at the WRONG address
- Elizabeth Rehn is suing the city and five police officers after her apartment was raided by police who came to the wrong address
- The November 2020 incident was captured on shocking bodycam footage
- Rehn is seen shaking and terrified after armed officers burst into her home with guns raised before realizing their mistake
A woman is suing Seattle after police officers broke down her door and raided her home, only to discover they were at the wrong address.
Elizabeth Rehn endured the terrifying experience of armed officers forcing entry into her home three years ago, on November 22, 2020, as she was about to take a bath.
Rehn is now suing the city of Seattle and five Seattle police officers for unspecified damages, arguing that her civil rights were violated and that police were negligent.
Bodycam footage of the incident shows a male officer aggressively kicking in Rehn’s front door before another officer enters the apartment, pointing a gun and yelling, “Seattle Police, show me your hands!”
Elizabeth Rehn’s home was raided by Seattle police on November 22, 2020, just as she was about to take a bath
Bodycam footage shows Rehn (right) was seen shaking and terrified after armed officers forced their way into her home
“What the f***” you hear a shocked Rehn reply.
“Who else is inside?” the officer shouts, to which the terrified resident says: “No one, I live alone.”
According to court documents, police responded to reports of a person in crisis throwing objects out of a fourth-floor window.
The bodycam footage shows police checking the windows in the apartment and noting that none are broken.
Rehn claims that police not only entered the wrong apartment, but were also in the wrong building.
The suit, filed in federal court last month, says police were dispatched to 3028 1st Avenue but entered 3016 instead.
βI don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as scared and shocked as Ms. Rehn, and I’ve been a civil rights lawyer for 28 years.β Rehn’s attorney, Jay Krulewitch told Komo News.
Footage shows officers shouting: ‘Seattle Police, show me your hands’
Officers are seen inside the building, where they realize their mistake
Rehn’s attorney, Jay Krulewitch (pictured), said his client feared for her life
“She was afraid she was going to be shot because when they broke down her door, she didn’t know who came into her apartment, she crouched down, she was about to take a bath, she barely had time to put on a big coat throw themselves around,β Krulewitch explained.
βI believe the crying and sobbing and what she said to me reflects how close she was to death.
βThis was not a minor incident, it was a terrifying incident for her and left a lasting impression on her,β he added.
βYou have the wrong address, are you kidding me,β she is heard saying to the officers in her distressed state.
βI didn’t know who the hell was at my door,β she added.
Seattle police said they would not comment on pending litigation.