Family blasts police after toddler ends up in ICU in 'raid gone wrong'

15 January 2024 , 14:33

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A toddler was left in intensive care after police raided a home in what has been slammed as a case of mistaken identity by the child's family.

Courtney Price was at home in Elyria, Ohio, on January 10 when she said she 'froze' out of fear as officers burst through the door. She wrote on Facebook: “When I got to the top of the steps I noticed it was police and then the next thing I know, the door bust open, the windows are busting out around us.

"I have multiple guns pointed at me and I just freeze in fear, I see my baby getting covered in smoke. I was screaming ‘my baby, my baby, he’s on a ventilator, my baby is in here'."

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The mum was staying at her aunt and uncle’s home with her 17-month-old son, Waylon May, when the incident happened. The surveillance video, shared by Cleveland 19 News, showed dozens of officers outside the property before throwing a flashbang that deployed smoke.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Family blasts police after toddler ends up in ICU in 'raid gone wrong'

Toddler Waylon May in hospital following the incident

The youngster was with his mum when the police raided the property

Waylon was reportedly covered in glass following the explosion. Reida Jennings, Courtney's aunt, was out at work when her security camera captured the moment. She said: “As they are banging on the door, they throw the flashbang through the window and it goes over top of here and hits the baby. The baby is covered in glass."

However, Elyria Police issued a statement saying that the devices “produce sound and light that is noticeable in day or night conditions and are intended to distract the suspects attention.” They said that the search warrant was carried out at the correct house but denied throwing one through the window of the home on Parmely Avenue.

The family have accused the police of mistaken identity

The family said the toddler has medical complications and was on a ventilator. They added: “He needed (six) more liters of oxygen, his belly was retracting so hard and his vent settings needed turned up."

Waylon's mum claimed that the smoke burned her son's eyes, body and lungs and that he was put in an intensive care unit (ICU). She said: “He’s already a special-needs baby. He’s a trach baby. He was on his ventilator, they let the baby lay there for about 35 to 45 minutes in the smoke.”

The police said that medics at the scene found no visible signs of injury on the child, who was taken to hospital in an ambulance. They added: “Any allegation suggesting the child was exposed to chemical agents, lack of medical attention or negligence is not true.

Waylon is now out of intensive care but remains in hospital

"The child’s mother informed detectives that she intended on taking the child to the hospital due to the child’s pre-existing illness unrelated to the tactical operation; however, she lacked an available car seat for transportation."

Reida believes that the warrant was intended for a teenager who previously lived in the residence. She claimed police have been to her home five times in the past year looking for the person. The police said the address of the home was listed on the warrant and that the investigation that leading to the warrant is ongoing.

The police raid happened on January 10 in Elyria, Ohio

Waylon was moved out of ICU but remains in hospital at the time of writing. His mum added on Facebook: “I want everyone to know what they did. I want them to see what they did to my innocent, precious baby. No apology, no nothing. Just a ‘sorry, wrong house’.

She told a local news outlet that he was diagnosed with chemical pneumonitis, which involves difficulty breathing due to inhaling chemical fumes or breathing in and choking on certain chemicals. Courtney added: "It hurts me more than anything because he’s fought so hard to get to where he is. He fought for a year to get off the ventilator for 15 hours a day and now he can’t go off for a split second.”

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