Civil Rights Corps Files Federal Lawsuit Alleging Harris County Constables unlawfully entered the wrong family’s home with guns drawn
Houston, TX – On January 31st, 2024, Civil Rights Corps filed a federal lawsuit against three members of the Harris County Constables, Precinct 2 (the “Constables”) on behalf of Harris County resident Tyler Harrington. The complaint alleges that officers James Lancaster, Nathaniel Cano, and Jared Lindsay (“defendants”) conducted a warrantless no-knock entry into Mr. Harrington’s home in the middle of the night and held him at gunpoint. The complaint raises several claims against the defendants, including violations of the Fourth Amendment for unlawful entry, unlawful search, unlawful seizure, and excessive force.
According to the complaint, Mr. Harrington’s neighbor called 911 because she heard a knock on her back door. The complaint alleges that one officer spent approximately 12 minutes talking to the neighbor on her property before leaving the area. According to the complaint, he then returned and met up with the other two defendants, and all three went across the street to Mr. Harrington’s house to investigate the door knocking incident. The complaint alleges that the defendants barged into Mr. Harrington’s house with guns drawn and found him and his family sleeping. According to the complaint, the defendants held Mr. Harrington at gunpoint, in his boxers, until they verified that he lived in his home. The complaint alleges that the defendants’ actions subjected Mr. Harrington to agonizing emotional pain, fear, and severe ongoing emotional and psychological injuries
This is not the first time one of the defendants has been accused of using excessive force. In 2020, defendant Jared Lindsay, then an employee of Precinct 7, was sued for allegedly strangling and tasing a man following a traffic stop. Mr. Harrington is also not the first Harris County resident to experience police officers unlawfully raiding the wrong home. In 2020, former Houston Police Department officer Louis Rodriguez filed an internal affairs complaint against the Harris County Sheriff’s Department for allegedly attempting to serve a warrant at the wrong address, breaking down his door, and pulling him and his son outside. In 2019, Houston Police Department officers killed 2 innocent people in a botched raid that began with a neighbor fraudulently calling the police.
Ale Clark-Ansani, an attorney at Civil Rights Corps, says “It’s incredible and deeply troubling that the defendants here went into Mr. Harrington’s home in the middle of the night and held him at gunpoint over something as small as a 911 call about a knock at a door. It’s even more troubling that one of these defendants seems to have a pattern of complaints regarding the use of excessive force, with no apparent repercussions.”
Kiah Duggins, an attorney at Civil Rights Corps and member of the RISE Coalition for police accountability, says, “It is outrageous that this pattern of abuse continues without accountability. The officers’ actions were not only unlawful under the Fourth Amendment; they were dangerous and harmful. Promoting public safety means holding these officers accountable.”
The lawsuit is seeking a declaration that the defendants violated Mr. Harrington’s constitutional rights, as well as compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys fees.
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About Civil Rights Corps:
Civil Rights Corps is a non-profit organization dedicated to challenging systemic injustice in the American legal system through innovative civil rights litigation. CRC works with individuals accused and convicted of crimes, their families and communities, people currently or formerly incarcerated, activists, organizers, judges, and government officials to challenge mass human caging and to create a legal system that promotes equality and human freedom.
Twitter: @civrightscorps
Website: civilrightscorps.org
Media contacts:
Cheryl Bonacci, Civil Rights Corps | cheryl@civilrightscorps.org