An innocent Kansas man recorded video of police armed with AR-15s, which were pointed at his head during a raid on his home after someone called 911 reporting a Hispanic man armed with a rifle.
The only problem: Topeka police officers never obtained a warrant before kicking down David Reynolds' door, forcing their way in with guns drawn, handcuffing him and briefly detaining him.
Topeka officer K. Johnson initially claims in the video they were there looking for a man with an AK-47.
But there were no guns inside the home.
Reynolds explained even if he did have a gun it would be perfectly legal.
Then, later Topeka police issued a written statement saying they were looking for a suspect in a violent dispute with a female after receiving a 911 call at around 11.:09 a.m. September 12.
“The caller told us they believed the male to be in a violent dispute with a female and was making threats to her,” Topeka Police wrote in a statement on Facebook after the video began going viral on Wednesday.
“The caller then specified the apartment this was taking place in. The caller then said they could hear banging on their door and walls and said they were afraid for their safety.”
Officers arrived on the scene a few minutes later, knocking on the door of the apartment described by the caller.
At the time of the invasion, Reynolds had just gotten home from class and was in the middle of washing his dog before he opened the door wearing only his underwear and latex gloves.
Officers attempted to question him while aiming guns at his head, but he refused to answer questions and attempted to close the door.
Reynolds, who became enraged during the incident, described the incident on Facebook, saying officers aimed guns at him after he opened the door.
- “So i come home in between class, to wash my dog, and all of a sudden i hear loud banging on my door, i ask who it is, and get no answer, so i open my door, and there are two Topeka Police Department officers with AR-15 DRAWN and AIMED at me, tell me to come outside, to which i answered ‘(expletive) no’ because 1. i have done NOTHING WRONG, and 2. im in my underwear because washing my dog gets messy.” so i slam my door. they then BREAK IT DOWN. tell me to get on the ground, put me in hand cuffs and drag me to my living room. then tell me that they got a call about a “hispanic male with an AK-47” (which by the way is NOT illegal to own if you’re not a felon so even if i did have one, which i dont, its not ilegal to own one, and they didnt know i was a felon until i told them.)let me state one more time that i did NOTHING WRONG. and i was IN MY OWN HOME! WASHING MY DOG! and they BROKE MY DOOR DOWN AND ALMOST KILLED ME WITH NO EVIDENCE THAT IVE DONE ANYTHING WRONG! THEY DIDNT EVEN HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THE PERSON THEY WERE ACTUALLY CALLED ABOUT HAD DONE ANYTHING OTHER THAN CARRY AN AK-47 INSIDE HIS OWN! THANK GAIA IM NOT FUCKING DEAD RIGHT NOW! THIS WASIN MY OWN HOME. I DIDNT DO ANYTHING WRONG. SHARE THIS SHIT. I NEED A FUCKING LAWYER
Police never located a female inside of his department and, after being detained at gunpoint, Reynolds was eventually released.
That's when he began recording the video he later posted to Facebook.
Officers attempt to explain they entered his home and detained him at gunpoint due to “exigent circumstances” but give contradicting stories as to why those circumstances actually existed.
The Topeka Police department also gave no detail on the actual address given by the caller, although they claim Reynolds' apartment was the specific apartment described by the 911 caller.
