Three Minneapolis-area police officers claimed they saw a baby in distress inside a Black family’s home when, in reality, they knew it was just a doll, creating a false narrative that gave them probable cause to break inside and search the residence without a warrant, according to a lawsuit filed last week.
The federal civil action, filed by Yolanda Mays and her 74-year-old uncle, Tommy Holmes, names the city of Minneapolis as well as three cops who illegally entered their residence last spring, including Minneapolis Police Officers Andrew Schroeder and Mark Suchta and Brooklyn Center Police Officer Alan Salvosa.
The suit alleges all three police officers violated the pair’s civil rights on March 21, 2023, when they conducted the unlawful raid under the pretext of a fake emergency.
An investigation by local news station KSTP 5 later revealed that the officers had the wrong address for the raid and were not at the right location where they broke down the door of Mays’ home without a warrant.
As it turns out, a search warrant had been issued, but it involved a homicide investigation at another house down the street.
Holmes was not physically injured or shot during the raid, while Mays expressed relief that the raid did not end in tragedy.
“Thank God he didn’t have a heart attack,” Mays told the station last week.
“I’m upset. I feel violated. Just, like, a ton of emotions,” Mays said. “We all have to be held accountable for our actions, period,” she added.
According to the claim, officers Schroeder and Suchta arrived first at the wrong address.
Suchta looked through the window and saw a baby doll on the couch inside, prompting the officers to debate whether it was a real baby. Although Suchta expressed his belief that it was a doll, Schroeder called Brooklyn Center emergency services anyway and requested backup, saying there was a baby in distress.
Moments later, Salvosa arrived and peered through the window and also saw the baby doll, which “does not look like a real baby,” the lawsuit states, adding that the toy doll has “stitching on joints, a plastic sheen, and is not particularly lifelike.”
Mays was not home at the time, but Holmes was in the basement when Salvosa kicked down the door even though he had the access code, causing major damage to the threshold.
The trio of officers claimed they were investigating a possible crime, even as the home was not linked to any active cases.
The suit does not detail the officers’ reactions upon discovering the baby doll on the couch was not real, but the illegal search continued nonetheless.
From there, the officers allegedly ransacked the home but never let on what they were looking for, while Officer Schroeder tore open some of Mays’ mail and read it, the lawsuit claims.
The officers “used the observation of a baby as a pretext” to enter the home and “conduct an illegal and unauthorized search,” the suit states.
After realizing their mistake, Schroeder went to the home’s garage to look for tools to fix the broken door, but he could not find any, according to a police report of the incident.
Mays and Holmes are seeking damages for invasion of privacy, stigma, distress, and trauma.
The lawsuit claims the city of Minneapolis practiced ineffective discipline and supervision while enabling “unconstitutional conduct” by Schroeder, who had approximately 20 disciplinary actions against him since 2015, some related to unlawful searches.
Brooklyn Center has since paid to replace the family’s front door.
Minneapolis police officials have not commented on the case, citing the ongoing litigation.
