A recent incident in Missouri (USA) has led a family to sue the St. Louis Police Department for mistakenly raiding their home. The police acted on information provided by Apple’s Find My application, which turned out to be incorrect. As a result of this wrongful raid, the family experienced panic and suffered the loss of their property. The incident highlights the importance of accurate and reliable technology, particularly in law enforcement.
According to the lawsuit, Brittany Shamily and her husband, Lindell Briscoe, were at home with their children, including a 3-month-old baby, when suddenly, police from the SWAT team entered the house with complete weapons. This force ransacked the house and caused a lot of damage. The report said one policeman punched a hole in the wall. In contrast, another punched a hole in the ceiling, but they found nothing unusual.
On a particular morning, there was a mistaken police raid that happened shortly after a car was stolen. The owner’s friend used the Find My app to track the AirPods that were left in the car. Later, the police also found the headphones discarded by the robbers on the road outside the targeted house.
The family of Shamily is claiming that the use of the Find My app in locating the suspect was inaccurate and led to the mistaken raid. They have filed a lawsuit against the Department for photos of St. Louis County privacy violations and excessive use of force. Additionally, the family has also sued Apple for deficiencies in the design of the Find My application, which led to the provision of false information.
Shamily’s family attorney said the incident shows the dangers of overuse of SWAT teams and lack of care in the use of surveillance technologies. The lawsuit is pending in a Missouri court.