Denver SWAT Team Wrongfully Raids Apartment, Traumatizing Family, Lawsuit Claims
A lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses the Denver Police Department of knowingly raiding the wrong apartment, forcing a family out at gunpoint, and traumatizing two young girls. Bodycam footage from the June 2023 incident shows a SWAT team mistakenly demanding that Kirsty Shelton, her daughters, and their grandmother exit their home while searching for a suspect who lived across the hall. Despite being told they had the wrong apartment, officers proceeded to enter, encountering two girls, ages 5 and 6, who screamed in fear. The family was then placed in a locked police car for an hour as officers took over their apartment to continue their search. The suspect was ultimately arrested in the correct unit, directly opposite theirs.
The lawsuit alleges police knew they were supposed to search apartment 307, not 306, as the numbers were clearly marked. It also claims officers failed to admit their mistake and instead denied the raid ever happened. Attorneys John Holland and Dan Weiss argue that at least 10 officers violated the family’s constitutional rights, using excessive force and conducting an unlawful search. Colorado’s 2020 police reform law prevents officers from using qualified immunity to block lawsuits, allowing the case to proceed in state court.
SWAT experts note that mistaken entries are rare, but when errors do occur, officers cannot immediately retreat, as they must secure the location for safety. Denver police have not released their report on the incident, and while they declined to comment due to pending litigation, they confirmed an internal investigation is ongoing. Shelton says her family required extensive counseling and criticizes the police for covering up the raid rather than taking responsibility.
