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.

[A CA Guy]

Didn't the fact that I've called this tragic about 30 times so far give impression that this was a terrible loss?

The good done and the many hundreds of lives saved by this department before this one tragic death shouldn't get buried because of the one woman.

You are saying because of this one accident they should stop and let hundreds of others die for the political sake of addicts who want to do their drugs and their suppliers.
Doesn't make sense to me to make a bigger tragedy from this woman's death.

[jayef]

Maybe they weren't planning it, but they sure do know that it is a possibility. These types of raids have gone bad before. Plenty of times. So far it's been judged an acceptable risk. The issue is, how many more have to die?

[RIGHT IN SEATTLE]

...and to hell for the rest of the storm troopers!

[jayef]

It's not worth one innocent life. Collateral damage against citizens? Are you nuts? Policies on high speed chases have been changed because of the potential for collateral damage and some of those involve violent criminals in flight. Is this any more acceptabe?

[A CA Guy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/913012/posts?page=292#292

This might help you.

[A CA Guy]

Which innocent life? The one woman with the pre-existing condition or the many others that would die for sure without law enforcement of drugs?

Save one to kill the many other innocents? Why?

[newwahoo]

"Wonderful escalation in the miltaristic tactics being used by law enforcement. My question: Why risk an entry into the apartment? Wouldn't it be more efficient to just fire a HE tank round or two through the window? That'll send a message to those deviant, and subversive teenagers smoking weed! "

What a ridiculous exercise in hyperbole. I personally guarantee that they expected to find a LOT more than that in the apartment.

Don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion too much, ok?

[A CA Guy]

It's an acceptable risk because of all the life saved in comparison, because these folks may have saved thousands in their 1896 successful raids. They prevented some from killing, others from being killed and yet others from over-dosing. All those others would die to save the one which would result in maybe a thousand more dead, why?
They try to have no error at there job. The fact that this woman was pre-disposed to a fatal heart attack sure didn't help in this case at all.

[jayef]

BZZZZT >>>>> Unsupported Claim

[Skywalk]

Hundreds of lives saved by what? By arresting drug dealers? HAH! Hardly, if they've saved any lives it's been in emergency responses to accidents or locking up violent criminals. Some of those violent criminals may be users or dealers, but those types are sprinkled throughout society.

[A CA Guy]

Why, what they've done in the other 1896 successful raids have saved maybe over a thousand lives?
This was a tragic accident with a woman pre-disposed to a fatal heart attack.
They should look into how this happened and try to improve their 99.98% record that they have now, but they do not deserve hell for doing a tough job and dealing with addicted criminals.

[jayef]

So we take life to save lives? That makes lots of sense. So how do we calculate how many lives this death has saved? Please . . . share your formula with us.

[jayef]

So how many lives would be saved if the billions of dollars and countless thousands of manhours used in fighting the drug war went toward preventing violent crimes and apprehending violent criminals?

[newwahoo]

"I hate to break this news to you, but the majority of the rank and file LEOS out there will tell you in private, the WOD is an epic waste of time, police resources, and tax payer money, and will never be "won"."

I don't see it being won from where I am, but then again neither will the wars on other crimes. New criminals mature as do new cops like myself. Its a neverending battle. Where the fronts are is all up to the public!

[A CA Guy]

At least they removed at least some of the killers and those that would be killed or overdosing in their raids.

That adds up to a lot of saved lives over the 1896 successful operations that would be dead today if not for them.

Drugged rapist, killers and other criminals are sprinkled out there for sure. So be glad their is someone trying to do something about it.

[jayef]

You can't be serious. Your logic is so tortuous as to be beyond ridicule. Really, it barely merits any discussion at all. I feel like with each post to you I get stupider.

[A CA Guy]

When people are lost on the side once in a great while, do you call that accident an intended taking of innocent life when they were pursuing rapist, killers, pedophiles and terrorist?

Get real, there is no perfect world.

[jayef]

Uhhh . . . I don't know what to say. I'm awestruck.

[jayef]

Ya know what . . . just sign me up for the funny farm right now! I'm ready!

[newwahoo]

"Yep, and who ends up paying? The already-overburdened taxpayers of New York City. The cops involved probably won't even get one day's suspension. (And if they do it'll be with pay.)"

The Lt. will probably end up paying financially if not criminally for his mistake. "My guess is these sorts of "mistakes" would drop by 95% within a day if a law was passed making the cops involved PERSONALLY financially liable for drug busts that storm a wrong/falsely accused address."

Bad idea. If you stop indemnifying cops for good-faith errors you'll de-police the city in about a week. No one would do anything out of fear of losing their entire future. Can you say "Escape from New York"? Thats a recipe for the kind of anarchy that the libs here are trying to foist on NYC by destroying the NYPD.