New bodycam footage from Ohio police raid shows officers using flash-bang, talking to mother of sick infant
Bodycam footage from a police raid in Elyria, Ohio, was released on Tuesday after the mother of a 17-month-old claimed police raided the wrong home and said her baby was injured by a flash-bang device used during the Jan. 10 operation.
Courtney Price said she was at her aunt's rented home when police broke a window near her infant son, Waylon, by using a flash-bang.
She said after the raid, the child, who was already on a ventilator, was hospitalized with burns and has since been diagnosed chemical pneumonitis "from the chemicals in the flash-bang."
A police report released by the city of Elyria on Tuesday shows police were executing a search warrant as part of an investigation into stolen guns. Two suspects were arrested at another residence where three guns were allegedly found. The police department believed more stolen guns were at the residence were Price was staying, and later that day raided the home.
In addition to the police report, the city also released several bodycam videos after the mayor requested information be made public.
In one video, officers announce that they are outside the home and then use a flash-bang, which looks like a small explosion, break another window and break in the door. They then enter the home through the door. A video taken from another angle also shows a woman being taken out of the home and handcuffed.
In another video, a woman handcuffed outside tells police that she has a baby inside who is on a ventilator. Later, they take her handcuffs off and let her go inside to the baby. She is seen explaining her baby's health issues to the officers and they eventually call an ambulance for her.
Price's aunt, Redia Jennings, said police have searched the home several times for a suspect that doesn't live there.
But in a statement on Jan. 12, the Elyria Police Department said the warrant was executed at the correct address. They said the flash-bangs that were used produce sound and light but do not deploy pepper gas or chemical agents.
They also disputed that Waylon was injured when the flash-bang went off, saying police, paramedics and the mother assessed the baby and confirmed he didn't "sustain any apparent, visible injuries."
"The child's mother informed detectives that she intended on taking the child to the hospital due to the child's pre-existing illness unrelated to the tactical operation; however, she lacked an available car seat for transportation," the statement reads, adding that detectives called an ambulance for her.
"Any allegation suggesting the child was exposed to chemical agents, lack of medical attention or negligence is not true," the statement continued.
In a statement on Jan. 15, Elyria Mayor Kevin A. Brubaker said the family's allegations against the police department are "extreme and deeply concerning."
Brubaker ordered a review of the incident with information released to the public, saying that bodycam video would be released and will continue to be released as it becomes available.
"The serious and disturbing nature of the allegations concerns all Elyrians," Brubaker said. "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."
CBS News has reached out to the police department, the mayor and Price and is awaiting response.
- In:
- Ohio
Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.
