Sunday, January 27, 2008

Armed & Dumb As A Box Of Claw Hammers

Muncie woman receives $80,000 after SWAT raided her home by mistake

MUNCIE -- "A woman who filed a lawsuit after her home was mistakenly raided by police during the filming of Armed & Famous has reached a settlement out of court.

Lyndsay Clements received $80,000 in the case, according to her Indianapolis attorney, Michael Sutherlin.

"My client was happy with that and wanted to move on," Sutherlin said.

Clements had initially sought $1 million in a suit filed in federal court that listed as defendants celebrity cop Jack Osbourne, Muncie officer Michael Edwards, Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle, Mayor Dan Canan, CBS Broadcasting Inc. and production company Good TV Inc.

Sutherlin said he did not know how the defendants split the responsibility of paying the $80,000 settlement.

City attorney Charles "Chic" Clark referred questions about the case to the city's insurance provider, Travelers Insurance, and that company's attorney, John Roy.

Roy did not return a phone call to his office.

Clark said he did not know how much Travelers paid to settle the case on behalf of the city, but that it was not paid for through taxpayer money and would not result in higher rates for the city.

The lawsuit alleged that around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 12, 2006, Muncie police officers -- including SWAT team members and Osbourne -- entered Lyndsay Clements' home in the 800 block of West Main Street under the mistaken belief that she was harboring a fugitive.

They handcuffed Clements in her nightgown for 30 minutes, according to Sutherlin, and ransacked her apartment while production crews filmed the activity.

"At some point, the police determined they were at the wrong address and without explanation or apology, immediately left the vicinity," the suit said.

Footage of the incident, including officers gaining entry into the apartment, appeared on Armed & Famous Jan. 11 with no explanation of the police mistake, the lawsuit said."

Explanation? Apology?

Who the hell is she kidding?

Since when did the America's Keystone Cops have to do either?

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