Queens

Family ‘Traumatized' After NYPD Storms Queens Home in No-Knock Raid Seen on Camera

Since the raid, Brown says no one has offered either an apology or reimbursement for the damage done to the home

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A Queens family says it's traumatized after the NYPD rammed down their front door in a no-knock warrant raid.

Seven people, including a toddler, were at the Jamaica home last month when officers broke the door in and stormed the house.

Homeowner Tijuana Brown says the family had no idea what was happening and the whole incident has left them traumatized.

A Ring doorbell on the home's front porch recorded the moment uniformed officers walked up and breached the house. The raid comes amid growing calls to stop no-knock raids, like the one that resulted in the killing of Breonna Taylor.

"I asked to see the warrant. No information was given. They had their badges covered with a black elastic," Brown says.

The NYPD entered the home looking for drugs and guns but Brown says, after an hour, found only a small amount of marijuana.

Brown's nephew, home at the time, was arrested. A letter from the district attorney in Queens says the charges brought against him have since been dismissed and the arrest record sealed.

"What's the difference between somebody breaking into my home that is dangerous criminal and the police department?" Brown asks.

In a statement, the NYPD said the warrant was "based on investigative evidence gathered due to complaints from the community about drug sales and firearms at the location."

Police added that Brown's nephew is a convicted felon on parole for a violent robbery.

"He hasn't been in trouble since he's been home," says Brown, who adds no drugs have been sold out of her home.

Since the raid, Brown says no one has offered either an apology or reimbursement for the damage done to the home.

City Council Member Adrienne Adams made the incident public and has called what happened an "absolute disaster." She says the practice of no-knock raids should be paused and examined.

The civil agency that oversees the NYPD confirms the no-knock raid is under investigation.

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