An Ohio mother accused police of sending her 17-month-old son to the hospital with burns when they mistakenly raided her home and deployed “flash-bang” devices in search of a suspect.
The Elyria police Special Response Team executed a search warrant at the home at 331 Parmely Ave. on Jan. 10 “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation,” the agency said in a statement.
“During the tactical operation, two distraction devices, commonly known as ‘flash-bangs,’ were deployed outside the residence,” police said.
“These devices produce sound and light that are noticeable during the day or night and are intended to distract the attention of suspects (sic),” they said, adding that the devices “do not produce a continuous burn and do not deploy or contain no pepper spray or chemical agents.”
Police said officers made repeated announcements before entering the home, where they found a woman and her 17-month-old son, Waylon.
“The woman informed officers that the child had a pre-existing medical condition,” police said.
Courtney Price said on Facebook that her son, who was already on a ventilator, suffered burns to his body and was covered in glass and smoke after police broke a window and deployed the devices.
Courtney Price, an Ohio mother, accused police officers of injuring her 17-month-old daughter when they deployed “flash-bang” devices when they mistakenly raided her home. Facebook/Courtney Paige
“All I saw was lights flashing and smoke coming into the house,” Price told CBS News. “I didn’t know what to do because they pointed guns at me. “I wanted to run towards him, but I knew that if I ran towards him… they could have shot him.”
She said they took her outside and handcuffed her.
“She was screaming, ‘My baby, my baby, is on a ventilator, my baby is here,’” Price wrote on Facebook.
“His diagnosis is chemical pneumonitis from the chemicals from the explosion,” he told CBS News.
A member of the Elyria police Special Response Team allegedly used a stun grenade during the raid. Facebook/Courtney Paige
Police said Price told detectives he planned to take the child to the hospital “due to a pre-existing illness of the child unrelated to the tactical operation.
“However, he lacked an available safety seat for transportation,” police said. “Elyria Police Detectives called Lifecare Ambulance to the scene to provide any medical care deemed necessary by EMS.”
Paramedics evaluated the child and transported him to a hospital, according to the police statement.
“Any allegations suggesting the child was exposed to chemical agents, lack of medical care or neglect are not true,” police said, adding that they and Price confirmed that Waylon did not suffer any visible injuries at the scene.
Price’s son, Waylon, is in the hospital. Facebook/Courtney Paige
“The investigation leading to the affidavit to obtain a search warrant for 331 Parmely Ave. in Elyria Ohio remains active and ongoing,” police said, adding that the warrant was executed in the correct direction.
Price wrote on Facebook that “15 seconds is all it took to turn our world upside down” after hearing the “loudest knock on the door” and moments later the police burst in.
“They point several guns at me and I freeze with fear. I could see smoke coming out of the window that was broken right where my baby was lying and I knew he couldn’t breathe,” she wrote.
“There were more than 20 agents in the house. “No one had the decency to see my baby, take the glass from him or take him out of the house that was smoky,” Price continued.
Price’s son was on a ventilator at home due to a pre-existing medical condition. Facebook/Courtney Paige
“Every single one of them was evil enough to sit there and let my baby breathe that air and fight to breathe. The SWAT team had two doctors, one listened to him with a stethoscope and said ‘it sounds clear,’” he wrote, adding: “My baby didn’t sound clear.”
Price also claimed that “the negligence of the Elyria Police Department caused my baby to have a chemical reaction in and around his eyes. “They made my baby stop breathing for a few seconds this morning.”
His aunt, Redia Jennings, who rented the house for a year, said police came several times looking for a suspect who did not live there, CBS News reported.
Jennings and her husband, Marlon, said they have no relationship with the suspect.
Price’s house after the police raid. Facebook/Courtney Paige
“I walked into my house and I was just… [I] “I couldn’t believe it,” Redia told WKYC. “I don’t like anything on my kitchen table, so you can imagine [with] “Everything piled up on the floor and everything fell over: the beds, the televisions, everything.”
Price said he took Waylon to the Cleveland area for heart surgery, but it has now been delayed, according to the outlet.
The child was moved out of the ICU at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, but is being treated for lung inflammation, eye irritation and the lingering effects of smoke, Price told WKYC.
According to Price, his son was diagnosed with chemical pneumonitis due to the flash-bang chemicals. Facebook/Courtney Paige
“We came here to start over and now I feel very unsafe here,” Price told the outlet. “I’m just trying to tough it out and stay to get better care, but I don’t like being here right now. It is very difficult.”
Elyria Mayor Kevin Brubaker called the allegations “extreme and deeply troubling” and added in a statement that “a full review of the incident and all information” will be released soon.
He said body camera footage of the incident would be released Tuesday.
“Our residents are demanding to know what happened, and rightly so,” Brubaker said. “Fortunately, our city had the technology to record events in real time through many body cameras throughout the incident. I’m particularly grateful that these cameras captured clear audio and video, from multiple angles. “I can’t wait to release this footage for all of you to see.”
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