The Wisconsin State Journal wrote:THU., MAY 25, 2006 - 12:13 PM
Drug force apologetic for raid error GEORGE HESSELBERG
608-252-6140
ghesselberg@madison.com Wisconsin State JournalProfuse apologies and promises of restitution, repair and investigation were made by officials Wednesday in the wake of a botched drug raid at a Dodgeville apartment building.
A six-agency illegal drug task force on Monday initially broke into the wrong apartment and handcuffed an innocent couple as they were preparing to retire for the night. After officers realized their error, they eventually took four people into custody at the adjacent apartment.
The two people who were released resided at 512 Montgomery St., Apt. 4. The intended raid target was Apt. 3, said Lt. Scott Marquardt, director of the Richland-Iowa-Grant Drug Task Force and a member of the Platteville Police Department.
Marquardt said he is investigating how the tactical unit mixed up the apartments and broke the big front window and ignited a "flash bang" device outside the window, then entered through the apartment door and handcuffed the couple. Marquardt said he didn't know if the door was smashed in.
"They were obviously disturbed about it, and we are disturbed that they are disturbed," said Marquardt.
The search warrant lists "apartment #3" as the target, and describes the correct entry door: "the door access . . . faces Montgomery Street and is the closest door to Perry Street." The building has four apartments, with entry to all four apartments on one side of the building. These two are adjacent, with entry doors sharing an alcove, he said.
The warrant also notes that task force member Dodgeville Police Sgt. David Bauer is a veteran of more than 50 search warrants. The raid was "no- knock" because, according to the search warrant, a confidential informant told police a weapon was shown at an earlier drug buy. Up to a dozen or more officers participated in the raid, Marquardt said.
"We made entry and took two people into custody and discovered shortly afterward that 'Hey, I think we're in the wrong one,'" said Marquardt. He said the first couple was handcuffed because that was the protocol in such a raid, to secure the area. "Everyone gets detained, everything is made secure."
The occupants of the first apartment, Kristina Radke and Kenneth Berhenke, described as "in their 30s," were quickly released, said Dodgeville Police Chief Dave Frazier, who made personal visits to the two with apologies and repair offers. Neither of the two was available for comment Wednesday.
"It is a very humbling experience," Frazier said. "It's a reminder to pay attention to the smallest of details and it is the very, very last thing we would want to happen to anybody."
Frazier said Radke complained of a sore wrist and was treated for a sprain at an area hospital.
"We will obviously take care of all damages, and if this young lady has any medical expenses we are going to take care of those," said Marquardt. "We regret the error."
He said the officers spoke with the couple "and we made a lot of effort to explain what happened, up to and including, after the search next door, of showing them what we found," he said. According to the search warrant, officers confiscated 61 grams of packaged marijuana, psilicybin mushrooms, pipes, a digital scale, muscle relaxants and ammunition for a 9-mm weapon.
When officers turned their attention to the correct apartment, he said, no windows were broken and no "flash- bangs" were ignited. Arrested without incident were Samantha Ladow, 21; Caden Wilkinson, 18; Ashley Hubbard, 18; and Scott Jelle, 21. All four were listed - though not their ages - on the search warrant. They were being held in the Iowa County Jail on Wednesday pending charges.
Marquardt said the drug task force, formed in 2000, includes six agencies: Iowa, Grant and Richland county sheriff's departments, and police departments in Platteville, Dodgeville and Richland Center.
"There are staff devoted full- time to the task force," he said. "Search warrants and controlled buys are our bread and butter."
