ELYRIA, Ohio — A young mom wants an apology after police raided a house in Elyria with her medically challenged toddler inside.
The 17-month-old is in the hospital now after the mom said that he’s experiencing irritations in his lungs and on his skin.
The mom blames the flash bangs police set off.
A news release from Elyria police said the search warrant had the correct address. But Courtney Price said police didn’t do their detective work for the teen they wanted, and now she and her toddler are paying for it.
On one door camera video, you can hear police knock and yell they have a search warrant.
You also hear a mother’s blood-curdling scream.
The video is from Price’s aunt’s rental house on Parmely Avenue.
The angle from a house next door shows an army of officers in SWAT gear with guns drawn.
Price remembers counting 28 officers from the video.
All of it, Price said, was for a 14-year-old boy she and her family had never met before.
“It has to do with burglary firearms,” Price said.
It was 2 p.m. on Jan. 10 when police said that a special response team was executing a search warrant with two flash bangs tossed outside.
Price remembers hearing a loud bang.
“I didn’t have time to make it to the door to open it,” Price said. Her son Waylon was in his baby swing on a coffee table facing the TV.
“I remember seeing the flash at the top and the smoke coming through the window,” Price said. In one video, you see officers putting Price in handcuffs, she said, all while Waylon was still inside.
“It was exactly 39 minutes until he was taken out of the house,” Price said.
Price says Waylong has pre-existing conditions with his ears, eyes, lungs and heart from being born prematurely.
She says he now has chemical irritations on his lungs, skin, and eyes.
“It makes me angry because he’s fought for 17 months to get to where he’s at and now he’s almost back to square one,” Price said.
In a statement, police said that any allegations suggesting Waylon was exposed to chemical agents, lack of medical attention, or negligence are not true.
“One swat medic bent down and listened to him and said sounds clear,” Price said.
The mayor released a statement saying he takes police misconduct allegations seriously. His office is now reviewing police body camera footage, which they expect to release at some point.
"I hope he does the right thing and holds them accountable. It’s not whether they came in and did the raid wrong or not, it’s that they didn’t do the detective work,” Price said.
Price said her family didn’t know this teenager, and it took them five minutes to figure out he had moved.
“They said, 'Sorry, wrong house,'” Price said.
On top of everything, Price said that her son’s medical supplies for the month were ruined, and baby clothes had to be tossed.
“At least an apology to me and my son is deserved. Not once has anyone tried to check on him,” Price said.
Waylon is still in the hospital.
Price said her family did get a lawyer and they are planning for legal action.
Flashbangs do not continuously burn or contain chemical agents, police said last week.
You can read the mayor's full statement below:
The allegations against our police department are extreme and deeply concerning. As I stated this past Saturday, I have ordered a complete review of the incident and requested all information be released to the public as soon as possible. I can now tell you video footage from several officers’ body-worn cameras will be released by end of day tomorrow, January 16th, 2024. I will continue to release footage from other officers on scene as it is made available.
The serious and disturbing nature of the allegations concerns all Elyrians. Our residents demand to know what occurred, and rightfully so. Thankfully, our City had the technology to record events in real time via many body-worn cameras throughout the entirety of the incident. I’m particularly grateful these cameras captured clear audio and video, from several angles. I am eager to release this footage for all of you to view.
Staff from several City departments are working diligently to complete the review process, which protects our residents’ privacy as required by law. I appreciate everyone’s continued patience as we work to get the facts out.
More tomorrow,
Mayor Brubaker
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