Investigates

SWAT team's mistake of raiding wrong home costs city $80,000

PITTSBURGH — The city of Pittsburgh just settled a federal lawsuit for $80,000 with a family whose home was mistakenly raided by SWAT officers.

A woman and several children were sleeping in their Brighton Heights home five years ago when a Pittsburgh Police SWAT team came into the home.

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"It's absolutely terrifying and these kids have been traumatized," said Maggie Coleman, the attorney for Tabitha Werkmeister.

Police busted down Werkmeister's door, startling her, her fiance and her five young children.

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Officers picked the wrong apartment. They were supposed to have gone through the door on the right side, to the first-floor apartment. Instead, they went through the door on the left to the second floor.

"There were numerous opportunities for the officers that planned this SWAT raid to confirm which door was the right door," Coleman said. "The officer who got the warrant, who knew which door was the right door, was actually there. They talked to him before they raided the house, but nobody bothered to ask him whether or not the door on the left was actually the door to the apartment and he knew that it wasn't."

Werkmeister filed a federal lawsuit against the city and city leaders agreed Tuesday to settle it for $80,000.

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The money will go to her children.

"I think the main thing that Tabitha wanted out of this lawsuit was to let everyone know what happened to her," Coleman said. "It was so terrifying for her and she has been so affected by this, she doesn't want to see this happen to other people."

The Pittsburgh City Council introduced the resolution authorizing payment in the case and a final vote will come later this month.

 

Cox Media Group

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