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Apr 14, 2008 3:27 pm US/Central
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I-TEAM: Charges Dismissed In 'Wrong House' Raid
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
Charges were dismissed Monday against a Minneapolis man whose former girlfriend gave police false information which led to a SWAT raid on an innocent family's home and an exchange of gunfire the week before Christmas.
Hennepin County Judge Dan Mabley dismissed the charges against Jermaine Brown Monday morning as his trial was about to begin.
Brown was arrested at one of several houses officers raided last December Because police can't find the woman who tipped off police, the judge dismissed gun possession and domestic assault charges again Brown. The charges could be re-filed if authorities find the 24-year-old woman who made the claims.
The tipster gave police a false name, Michelle Henderson, when she told the MPD's Violent Offender Task Force investigators she lived at the home on Logan Avenue North with Brown.
Using the name Henderson, she went to the downtown precinct on December 16, claiming Brown had threatened her with a gun in their home.
The I-Team learned her real name was Morgan Ashley Young and she was wanted on an outstanding warrant in Dodge County for felony prostitution charges.
Brown was arrested at another north Minneapolis home that night last December where he lived with Young for several months. Police found several guns during that search.
Based on Young's information to the VOTF investigators, the SWAT team next raided the Logan Avenue address where an innocent family had lived for four years. Instead of finding more guns as Young had told police, they found a frightened family where six young children were asleep in their beds.
Frightened by the intruders, their dad, Vang Khang. grabbed his shotgun. His wife called 911, begging for help. Khang fired off several shots, the SWAT team returned fire.
No one was injured but the Khang family has hired two attorneys to deal with the city about the botched raid in the middle of the night.
Brown's attorney claims he's innocent and says Brown did not own the guns, as claimed by his former girlfriend. The attorney, Mary Moriarity, said Brown was "very happy" and "relieved" with the dismissal of the charges today.
To help prove the guns were not his, Brown gave police a DNA sample. His attorney said they have not heard back from police on the results of the DNA.
Meanwhile, the MPD's Internal Affairs Unit continues to investigate the events which led up to the police raid at the wrong house. They are looking into whether there were any department policy and procedures violations in connection with the raid.
It is expected to take at least several more weeks before the internal review is complete and sent to Chief Tim Dolan for review.
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