Overview
- Two families filed federal lawsuits Wednesday after attorneys Todd Perkins and Joel Sklar announced claims that Detroit and Warren officers entered homes without warrants and used excessive force.
- In Detroit on April 2, officers chased a curfew suspect into a house, and body‑camera video shows an officer striking visitor Carnell Givens as he was restrained; a judge later dismissed the charges against him.
- In Warren on September 23, 2024, officers pursued two people from a traffic stop into the Halls’ home, then arrested homeowners Willie and Sandra Hall, who say police pepper‑sprayed and injured them; prosecutors later dropped those charges.
- The complaints cite Fourth Amendment violations over home searches and seizures, accuse the cities of poor training and malicious prosecution, and seek damages that include at least $10 million from Detroit and punitive and compensatory awards from Warren.
- Warren police called the suit against their department without merit and said prosecutors had authorized the earlier charges, and Detroit police declined comment as the cases advance and body‑camera footage becomes key evidence under the warrant‑required rule for homes.