Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary, a safe place where you can kick back, relax, and take a break from the always busy outside world. You don’t have to let in anyone you don’t want to, especially at odd hours of the night.
For one Redditor, though, his peace was shattered when 3 armed LAPD officers broke into his room at 3AM and started firing questions at him. The man in question wasn’t presented with a warrant nor offered much in the way of explanation during the whole event. Now he’s wondering if his rights were violated and if he should file a complaint.
More info: Reddit
Man and his date got a rude awakening at 3AM after 3 LAPD officers stormed his room without a warrant
Image credits: SHVETS production (not the actual photo)
As it turned out, the mother of the woman he was with at the time had alerted the police after her daughter didn’t answer her phone
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
The police asked him to identify himself, as well as his shocked date
Image credits: u/alguirre00
The man ended up walking his date out, only to find another 3 officers and the girl’s mother waiting outside
OP starts his story by telling the community that he was on a second date with a woman who still lives with her mother. The couple ended up staying up late together before finally falling asleep at his place.
The peace was shattered, though, when 3 police burst through his door at 3AM, shining flashlights into his face and asking him to identify himself and confirm the identity of the woman he was with, which OP duly did.
The police then told OP that the woman’s mother was downstairs waiting for her, since she hadn’t answered her phone and the mother was worried. OP walked his date out and found 3 other police waiting out front. None of the 6 police offered OP any further word of explanation nor produced a warrant.
OP says he feels the whole thing was quite over the top, considering the couple had just fallen asleep, as well as the fact that he has a clean criminal record - nothing to suggest he might have harmed his date in any way. Now OP has turned to Reddit to ask if and how he can file a complaint.
Image credits: Antoni Shkraba (not the actual photo)
At no point did the officers provide a warrant or any further explanation for their actions, so the man asked netizens if he’d be within his rights to file a complaint
According to Alexis Austin of Right Law Group, in the US, police can only search your property if there is a reasonable cause for suspicion. They can’t search you, your car, your home, or any other property without a warrant or the aforementioned reasonable suspicion, because of the Fourth Amendment.
This is an amendment to the United States Constitution and forms a part of the Bill of Rights. The aim of the Fourth Amendment is to protect citizens against unreasonable seizures and searches. The Fourth Amendment states the following:
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
The Fourth Amendment was written well over 200 years ago, before the invention of security cameras, personal recording devices, and the internet, and has come under scrutiny in controversial cases where police have been suspected of abusing their power.
If you provide consent to a search without a warrant, the police are allowed to search your property. Even if you are completely innocent, it’s not advisable to consent to a search. Police may attempt to coerce you into giving consent, so be cautious with the language you use when talking to them.
The Fourth Amendment has multiple interpretations and can be quite convoluted. If you think that your Fourth Amendment rights have been violated, it’s crucial to consult a legal expert - an experienced criminal defense attorney will understand your rights and all the nitty gritty involved in these kinds of cases.
Do you think the 3 LAPD officers crossed a line by barging into OP’s home without a warrant? Would he be within his rights to lay a legal complaint against them? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
Redditors weighed in in their droves, with most suggesting the man consult a civil rights attorney
Image credits: Caleb Oquendo (not the actual photo)
