An Indiana man is seeking justice after police officers entered his home and made multiple arrests without a warrant.
Video obtained by WLFI shows Lafayette Police Department officers entering the home of William Neal without a warrant on May 21. Neal said police told him that they were conducting a wellness check because they had reason to believe that someone was hurt inside.
“We had a call that we need to check on you. You need to come out here. That’s not a lawful order,” Neal said. “You need to come out here. We need to come out here. That don’t make no sense.”
At the time of arrest, Neal was at home with his son and his girlfriend Tammy. Officers claimed that a 911 call was made. Lafayette Police later confirmed that no call was made from the home and the officers didn’t have a warrant to enter.
In a statement, Lafayette Police Chief Scott Galloway said the officers “had received compelling evidence suggesting a domestic battery and confinement had occurred with persons at the address.”
Neal said the evidence was a seven-year-old video showing a domestic dispute between another one of his sons and a woman in a different town.
“They talking about they want to bust into my house because I’m Michael, and this is Leslie. And I’m like, you’re wrong,” Neal said.
Galloway said officers entered the home as they were “unable to verify the safety of the individuals inside.”
Upon entering the residence, officers arrested Neal and his son for misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. Tammy reportedly wasn’t arrested but said she was “manhandled” by the officers.
“Pull me down the steps, I trip, I hurt my knee. You know if you’re here for a wellness check for a female, and then you manhandle a female,” Tammy said. “it doesn’t make sense to me.”
Neal was taken to Tippecanoe County Jail and was later released. He has filed a complaint against the Lafayette Police Department.
“They had me posted all on the Tippecanoe booking sheet or whatever like I’m some kind of criminal. That was rape. Rape of my rights,” he said.
Watch video of the incident here.
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