On Saturday morning, police said they were searching for drugs and weapons when they descended on the George Street home grounds of Sheldon "Pinky" Tillet with full force and might. But tonight's story isn't about what police found on George Street, it is about what was left behind by the team of police officers who raided four homes in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday morning. The 7NEWS team was called out on Saturday to document the wreckage left in their wake.
Keith Swift Reporting, [keithkswift@gmail.com]
This busted door, broken lock, twisted burglar bars, and broken door frame may look like the work of lawless burglars but you're actually looking at the path of destruction left by police officers who raided four George Street homes Saturday
morning. Sylvia Eagan says that without warning police officers descended on her house before sunrise. The officers allegedly used this hammer and crowbar to access her home because with her door locked, they had to rip it open to get inside. There is also an obvious footprint on her door.
Sylvia Eagan,
"Minutes to five I heard a hard knocking but they didn't say it was police so when I noticed they already bust through the door and the burglar bar and when they came in they had this big flashlight in my face. I asked them what happened and they didn't say they came to look for drugs or anything, they just said they were doing their job. I asked them how can they be doing their work when they didn't even say they were the police. Look at my door. The last time when they came, the same thing happened. I really don't know what is going on but I get really tired because look at this now. This isn't making any sense. I just want them to do something about this because life hard out yah. I hope they see this sign here and listen to this and read this if they could read."
Across the street, the same scene was replayed at Jenille Williams' home. She said it was about 5 am when she heard a knock on her door. She too didn't open her door because, again, she claims the officers didn't identify themselves. And so when she didn't open the door, Williams say the cops gained entry by picking up this concrete slab which they slammed into her burglar barred door.
Jenille Williams,
"This morning about 5 am we heard a hard knocking on door so we never did get up and open the door because nobody said who it was or what; nobody would get up and open to anyone knocking like that. But the knocking was a hard hard knocking and when the door bust open, that is when we saw it was the police. They came and they used our same bricks from our yard to burst open here so this can't lock at all so I want to know if they will come and fix this back here now."
But the destruction didn't end there because the police also flexed their muscle
on this house which was abandoned at the time. Residents say that despite being told the house was empty, because the owner was out of the country, the officers still broke off the lock and barged in.
Jenille Williams,
"The owner of the house is in the States. He is a little old man but he went to take an operation for his eyes and though the lady downstairs is telling them the man isn't home, they still went and wrenched the door and thing."
And door number four was at this wooden house. That door is completely gone and on Saturday morning this child didn't have to open her door because there is now no door. No door here and only a piece of door left at Sylvia Eagan's home. She says her refrigerator is not working and she is tallying her losses.
Sylvia Eagan,
"The door alone is $500 and the locks are $75 because it is the strong lock. The refrigerator is more than $800 and the rest could add up."
But more than a dollar amount - these residents say they have just about had enough.
Sylvia Eagan,
"I want them to fix this up and stop coming to the back here because when anything happens they come back here. Whenever anything happens they run to George Street."
Jenille Williams,
"How would they want the public to be with them if they are doing a lot of things because we are tired of them. Every time they come, they do simpleness and we are tired of them."
And while four homes were searched, the man most likely at the center of it was George Street figure Sheldon "Pinky" Tillet. Tillet was remanded on murder charges in February of last year, was granted bail in May, and has been out of the news since then. Police Press Officer G. Michael Reid was unavailable for comment on the complaints.
