Police Storm Wrong Apartment, Resident Dies of Heart Attack

WABC News NYC ^ | May 16, 2003 | Art McFarland

[Unknown Freeper]

(Harlem-WABC, May 16, 2003) — Police smashed down an apartment door and used a flash grenade in their search for a potentially dangerous suspect. But it was the wrong apartment, and the woman who lived inside is now dead after suffering a heart attack.

Police smashed down an apartment door and used a flash grenade in their search for a potentially dangerous suspect. But it was the wrong apartment, and the woman who lived inside is now dead after suffering a heart attack.

What happened at 310 W. 143rd Street was meant to be the end result of a drug investigation based on confidential information from a police informant. But it is now among the most tragic errors of the NYPD.

Lucille Ross, Building Resident: "She was such a lovely person. If something was to happen with her like this, I want to know why."

The search warrant was apparently issued for apartment 6F in the multi-unit building. It was the home of Alberta Spruill.

Today Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said it was based on what investigators thought was reliable information. But it all turned out to be a terrible mistake.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly: "Entry was made by officers from our Emergency Services Unit who used a flash grenade during that entry. Once inside the officers found the occupant, a 57-year-old woman, identified as Alberta Spruill. She was briefly handcuffed while police conducted a cursory search of the apartment. The patrol captain then entered, and saw that the apartment did not match the description given by the informant, and immediately ordered that the handcuffs be removed."

The commissioner said Ms. Spruill soon told officers she had a heart condition, and then complained of chest pains. EMS was called to the scene and administered aid. But Ms. Spruill died a short time later at Harlem Hospital.

Commissioner Ray Kelly: "On behalf of the entire New York City Police Department, I want to offer my condolences and sympathy to the family of Alberta Spruill. I also want to offer my apology. This is indeed a profound tragedy."

Calvin Alston, Building Resident: "We're all just devestated. Really devestated. Because this is a woman that got up and went to church every day ... went to work every day. And we're all just devestated that this would happen to someone like this."

Police Commissioner Kelly did say a "flash grenade" was used at apartment 6F before officers entered. It may be the use of that flash grenade broke procedure. The ESU lieutenant who used it is now on administrative leave pending the investigation. Those grenades have been used 85 times this year.

And NYPD tells us only four mistakes out of 1,900 search warrants have been made this year. The investigation of this tragedy continues.

[rwfromkansas]

Are you high right now or something?

[supercat]

The lady must have had an extreme heart condition for a flash to give her a heart attack though...wow. I am glad she was a Christian.

Depends in part where she was relative to the flash-bang. The things can maim or kill even healthy people if they happen to land close enough.

[plusone]

I think the Senator's comments were sarcastic...

[Howlin]

Hey, supercat! Long time, no see!

[rwfromkansas]

What the hell? You say you are against the drug war and then you blame Bush for not pushing HARDER in said war?

[Howlin]

It's always like this. It changes it's position about every 50 posts, depending on how well it thinks it's doing.

Hint: don't want for an answer to ANY of your questions.

[Howlin]

and it is a 'two faced law'.

Well, since it's changing it's position right now, I guess that suit, eh?

[WoofDog123]

"A special effects grenade shouldn't be able to kill a normal healthy person. They would use that in riot control as well. I wonder what pre-existing condition caused her poor health."

They aren't hiring in the DDR anymore, but have you considered a career with your local swat team?

[Walkingfeather]

You only hear about these when something bad happens. You never hear about the ones that go right.

[WoofDog123]

"A special effects grenade shouldn't be able to kill a normal healthy person. They would use that in riot control as well. I wonder what pre-existing condition caused her poor health."

They aren't hiring in the DDR anymore, but have you considered a career with your local swat team?

[WoofDog123]

darn that was meant for A CA Guy sorry

[harrowup]

Actually I didn't want to make it a war on drugs issue. I wanted TLBSHOW to either back up or retract his assertion that most policemen, lawyers, judges, and teachers use drugs, mainly because I fit one of those categories myself, and I know it's not true, at least where I live.

But of course, he did not assert most

You asserted most did not

Y'all were arguing to argue without paying attention.

tlbshow: So the question is why aren't the teachers the lawyers the police officers or the judges homes doors busted down?

amelia: The question is, how do you know all these people are using drugs?

I'm sure there are some people in every profession who use drugs. In fact, there was an Army major arrested near where I live last year for selling drugs.

But I don't think MOST people in these professions use drugs.

[WoofDog123]

"There's nothing to buy. Dead is dead, but a person of normal health would survive. "

What ratio of wrong-person deaths to correct-person deaths/arrests would strike you as excessive?

[WoofDog123]

"But you are right in that the law breakers that these officers might have been there to take down could have charges of involuntary manslaughter added to them as the result of their actions requiring law enforcement to ever be there to begin with."

If the legal potential of this being enacted appeals to you, you might find a more appealing legal system in China or Cuba. They would share your view regarding collateral damage in civilian law enforcement.

I generally don't respond to trolls, and I am done with you.

[TLBSHOW]

there you go confusing them now....

[headsonpikes]

There's not much fun in teasing a simpleton.

Besides, it's cruel.

[MatthewViti]

very well said!

[WoofDog123]

"Most people would be pretty ticked off at the cops. But you may be different, you seem to have a strong affinity for government power."

He has previously indicated sympathy with the idea of charging the intended target with involuntary manslaughter, assuming the intended target can be located.

[Arpege92]

"Rather, it's just a matter of luck whether anyone happens to be within maiming or killing range."



I disagree....no knock searches can be very dangerous to police officers. With information they have in advance, they evaluate the potential danger in officers being maimed or killed. The information available to them at that time posed a very serious threat.....multiple weapons is nothing to fool around with. in fact, it has been known that alot of drug dealers and illegal weapons dealers buy dogs to use as a signal should police show up on their door step.....but, they also have the vocal chords of the dog removed so the police don't hear them barking. This leaves the cops open to an attack by the dog when they come through the front door.....and that gives the dealers more time to escape out of the window.

[supercat]

I disagree....no knock searches can be very dangerous to police officers.

I agree with that statement, but how does that relate to mine? Police who use flash-bangs on no-knock raids throw them before they can see whether anybody happens to be within lethal range of where the grenades happen to be thrown. How is that not a matter of luck?

Frankly, I'd like to see no-knock raids outlawed in all cases except hostage rescue, and severe limits placed on the evidence that can be gathered in no-knock raids [e.g. if police rescue a hostage, the hostage can give testimony against the kidnappers. If there's no hostage but police happen to find a drug lab, the evidence would be suppressed]. Unfortunately, some politicians like no-knock raids.