Ohio child hurt in mistaken police raid, mom says as authorities deny searching the wrong house

ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio woman says her 17-month-old son suffered chemical burns when police wrongfully raided the home where she was living, allegations that authorities have denied and are now under investigation.

Police body cam footage released Tuesday by officials in Elyria shows officers deploying exploding flash-bangs while raiding the home around 2 p.m. on Jan. 10. The warrant was served as part of an ongoing investigation involving stolen guns, city officials said.

The footage shows officers entering the home with guns and a battering ram and flash bangs. Officers soon handcuffed Courtney Price, who was alone in the home with her son. She lives there with her aunt and uncle, who say the teenager police were looking is a former resident who has not lived there since they began renting the residence about a year ago.

Price said her son, Waylon, has been diagnosed with chemical pneumonitis — a form of lung irritation – since the raid. She said the condition was caused by inhaling chemicals released by the flash bangs. The child is also awaiting surgery for a heart defect and was on a ventilator. A window was broken during the raid, not far from where the child was, but Price and authorities differ on how close the child was to the window.

Police issued a statement stating “any allegation suggesting the child was exposed to chemical agents, lack of medical attention or negligence is not true,” noting the devices “do not produce a continuous burn and they do not deploy or contain any pepper gas or chemical agents.” They also said the child did not sustain “any apparent, visible injuries.”

The statement also said the home was “the correct address of the search warrant.” They said a special response team was used to serve it due to “extensive criminal activity along with subjects involved.”

As the raid unfolded, smoke filled the home and police entered through the front door. Price wanted to run to her son but knew she could have been shot if she did, she told Cleveland television station WOIO.

“I didn’t know what to do because there was guns pointed at me,” Price said.

Elyria officials have asked the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the raid and how the warrant was obtained.