A family has demanded an apology from the Dallas Police Department after officers mistook them for burglars in their own home and detained them.
The incident happened at the family’s home located at Menefee Drive in Pleasant Grove. Police say a neighbor had called 911 to report that the family’s house was being burglarized. According to the department, officers responded to the call at about 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Sha-Galia Felder and her son Alexander were in their home watching TV and eating a late dinner when her son saw flashlights at the front door. The family said the door was open, but a glass storm door was closed.
Felder said her son got up to see what was going on at the door and saw two Dallas police officers with their guns drawn. One of the officers was already inside the house.
Felder’s son Alexander said he did not hear the officers say anything and that he just heard them banging the door.
“So I immediately say, ‘Whoa, whoa, what’s going on? What’s going on?’” Alexander said.
Alexander said he complied with the officers’ commands and was taken outside while Felder said she waited for the officers to give her permission to come out.
“I was like, ‘I’m in here, is it okay if I come out?’” Felder said.
Alexander revealed that neighbors intervened and let the officers know that both mother and son lived in the house. Neighbors also captured the incident on their cellphones.
“I was asking them why were they here. ‘Why are you here, and why are your guns drawn?’” Felder said. An officer explained that how her son approached the door made responding officers believe something was wrong. Felder said she then told the police that “What was wrong is that you all were banging on the door.”
According to Alexander, the 911 caller spoke with him the next day and said they had been out on dinner and came back and saw that the door was still open. The caller told Alexander that they thought someone had broken into the home, so they called the police.
While Alexander said he appreciated the officers’ wholehearted response, he did not like how they accessed the situation.
“I want some change,” Alexander said. “Miscommunication could have led to somebody being hurt, seriously hurt, or killed.”
Felder is demanding an apology from Dallas PD and further revealed that she has filed an internal affairs complaint online.
“I want an apology,” Felder said. “Whatever happened to knocking on the door? ‘Sir, ma’am we got a phone call, and we just want to stop and check to make sure everything is okay.’ But that’s not what happened.”
