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Police raid at West Oakland's The Black Panther Apartments prompts federal lawsuit

nbcbayarea.com · 8h · first reportShare

An affordable housing complex named after the Black Panther Party, and run by the party’s former leader, is suing San Francisco police, claiming a raid there earlier this year was illegal. The raid occurred on May 21 at The Black Panther Apartments in West Oakland. The federal civil rights lawsuit claims around 20 SFPD officers in plain clothes and unmarked cars broke through the front door without properly identifying themselves or showing a search warrant. The lawsuit claims when the building’s security guard asked for a search warrant, he was arrested, though charges were dismissed. When the building manager asked to see the warrant, the suit alleged officers pushed her and then searched a fifth-floor apartment. “Male officers used force against me and this building, pushing me out of the elevator, not showing a warrant when was asked, they refused to wait. This is not how our community should be treated,” resident manager Misty Cross said. The suit claims the warrant was not produc