Ontario police watchdog recommends Brantford police update policies after raiding wrong home
CBC
This is the first story in a two-part CBC Hamilton investigation into how police in Brantford, Ont., execute no-knock raids. Read the second story, on the increasing number of raids, Saturday. Have you been the target of a no-knock raid? Tell us about it in our questionnaire at the end of this story.
The Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) is recommending Brantford Police Service (BPS) make changes to its policies after officers looking for drugs raided the wrong home in September, 2022.
The police watchdog's report dated July 5, obtained by CBC Hamilton, describes the botched raid in detail and found two sergeants didn't act in bad faith but neglected to properly do their jobs.
The 90-page report also says it's up to Brantford police Chief Rob Davis to determine if the misconduct was serious enough for a disciplinary hearing or if it'll be dealt with in-house.
BPS declined an interview request and shared an e-mailed statement from Chief Rob Davis.
Davis said he can't comment on specifics of the case since the OIPRD process hasn't ended, but said there are "always opportunities to learn and improve operations and how we serve the public."
Mike Smitiuch, the lawyer representing the family who were wrongfully raided, told CBC Hamilton the OIPRD's findings highlight the trauma the family faced and the importance of getting raids right.
Shauna McDonald and Michael Kelly were in their downtown apartment, with their seven-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter on the evening of Sept. 8, according to the report.
That's when they heard a loud bang, saw the front door swing open and saw a flash grenade fly into the room.
Then a group of officers dressed in tactical gear and armed with rifles flooded into the home.
It's called a no-knock raid, also known as a dynamic entry. It's supposed to be rare, as the law states officers are generally supposed to knock, announce their presence and wait for someone to answer before executing a search warrant.
Police say they use no-knock raids if there's a higher risk of danger or the potential destruction of evidence.
WATCH | When Police Don't Knock
In the report, McDonald and Kelly say officers detained them and separated them from their kids.
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