A Texas jury ruled that Vicki Baker is entitled to $59,656.59 after her home suffered extensive damage during a SWAT raid while police pursued a fugitive in a July 2020 standoff.
Back in July 2020, Baker’s former handyman showed up at her home. She called police and left her home because she had previously fired Baker and knew there was trouble.
The handyman, Wesley Little, holed up in the home.
A SWAT team raided the home, they careened through her fence, set off tear gas explosives which shattered windows and blew off her garage door while they also drove a BearCat armored vehicle through her front door.
The City of McKinney refused to pay for the damage, telling her that police had “immunity”. Her insurance company also refused to pay.
The Virginia-based Institute for Justice sued on her behalf and last week a jury awarded her the damages from the city.
“my priority has always been to make sure that cities like McKinney cannot treat other people the way I’ve been treated. I expect today’s victory to send a message to governments across the country that they have to pay for what they break.”
Institute for Justice President and General Counsel Scott Bullock added in his statement:
“Respecting private property means government has to pay for the property it destroys and that’s true whether the government official destroying your home has a business card from the Roads Department or the Police Department. Today’s ruling makes all Americans more secure in their property and in the homes they have worked so hard to own.”