You definitely don’t want police officers suddenly barging into your home, but that’s exactly what happened to Reddit user theoneofallandmany. This Wisconsin resident was completely innocent and hadn’t committed any crime to justify such an entry. One night, a neighbor on the upper floor called the police over a personal dispute with his girlfriend. While one officer was already responding to the situation above, three backup officers arrived and mistakenly entered the wrong unit. Instead of heading to the correct apartment, they walked into the Redditor’s dark and quiet home with guns and flashlights drawn.
The resident had just stepped out of the bathroom when they were confronted by the armed officers in the hallway. Startled, they told the police they had the wrong apartment and directed them to go upstairs. However, before leaving, the officers aggressively opened the door to the Redditor’s younger brother’s bedroom.
“Maybe thinking it led upstairs, but that’s ridiculous. Why would the inside of one apartment have access to another?” the Redditor wrote. They added that the officers did this after already acknowledging their mistake. Following the incident, the Redditor shared the experience online and asked if any legal action could be taken.
Other Redditors told the Wisconsin resident that suing the police likely wouldn’t lead anywhere, as there were no clear damages. One user recommended filing a formal complaint with the police department. However, they also warned that this could be a double-edged sword. It’s not unheard of for officers to retaliate against those who file complaints, especially in smaller towns or municipalities.
User theoneofallandmany agreed with the concern, noting that they live in a town of just 8,000 people. The post quickly sparked active discussion about police conduct, with many users criticizing the officers and questioning how such a mistake could happen. One commenter wrote, “Cops aren’t your friends. They are sovereign citizens. With qualified immunity, they can legally lie and get away with it.”
A handful of users attempted to defend the police, suggesting it may have been an honest mistake. “The cops might not have known the layout of the building or even that it had multiple apartments. They also need time to figure out whether you, a potential suspect until they sort things out, are telling the truth,” one Redditor said.
However, most people believed the officers’ actions were deliberate. Some even speculated that the aggressive entry into the younger brother’s room was an attempt to find a reason to justify their wrongful presence in the apartment.
