Hawaii Couple Sues Police Over Home Search

A Kihei couple is suing the Maui Police Department alleging officers raided their home while executing a search warrant on the wrong address.

The Maui News reports that April and Norman Freeland filed the lawsuit in federal court in Honolulu in October.

The lawsuit alleges that on April 15 officers forced the Freelands to wait outside while they searched the residence for nearly half an hour, even after they knew they were at the wrong address.

The complaint claims police violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights and seeks $250,000 in damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

County lawyers say officers were inside the Freelands’ home for less than 10 minutes and left as soon as they realized they were at the wrong location.

A trial is scheduled to begin in January 2013.