A 78-year-old woman has been awarded millions of dollars in a lawsuit against Denver police after a jury found her rights were violated when they executed a search warrant on her home.
Law enforcement conducted a SWAT-style raid on Ruby Johnson’s home after using a cell phone discovery app to find evidence.
Jurors found two officers responsible for the raid: the officer who initiated the search warrant and the sergeant who authorized it. Johnson was awarded a total of $3.76 million, including $1.25 million each in punitive damages and $1.26 million for Johnson’s pain and suffering.
The city will be ordered to pay the total damages, even though the officers have been sued separately by the ACLU of Colorado on Johnson’s behalf.
The legal ordeal began in early 2022 when thieves stole a truck from a Denver hotel. The victim claimed his truck was loaded with “four semi-automatic handguns, a military tactical rifle, a revolver, two drones, and $4,000 in cash.” It’s an old iPhone 11. CNN report.
The complaint said the “sole basis” for linking the crime to Johnson’s residence was through the use of Apple’s Find My app, which is used to locate iPhone users’ phones.
The complaint also alleged that after a theft victim reported to police that she had used the app to locate her belongings, one of the officers prepared a search warrant affidavit based on the app’s results.
The affidavit said there was a typo in the date, and the complaint also alleges it was approved hastily without following proper procedures. The approving officer allegedly simply signed the approval form without adding his name, badge number or date.
The lawsuit also says the search warrant affidavit shows a screenshot of the app in question, which simply shows a circle marking the general area where an iPhone might be located. he claimed. The circle reportedly included “at least six different properties” and parts of “four different blocks.”
“The readily available user guidance that Apple publishes online for the Find My app shows that there is a reasonable possibility that this screenshot would justify a search of Ms. Johnson’s home,” the complaint states. It is clear that gender has been excluded.”
The plaintiffs argued that the officers omitted important information and misled the judge.
Johnson was seen on video being arrested by police wearing a bathrobe and shower cap, and was left waiting for hours as a team searched her home.
Police also allegedly ignored the woman’s instructions on how to open the garage and used a battering ram instead. knock open the door I will lead you there.
City officials and Denver police did not respond to requests for comment from CNN. NBC News” Reached for comment, Denver Police Department issued a statement on the matter.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Johnson’s family through our attorneys to resolve this matter without litigation,” the statement said.
The department also announced that Police Chief Ron Thomas has ordered an internal investigation into the incident.
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