James Keten and his family sued the Minneapolis police department following a 2011 raid of their home during which the police shot and killed two of their dogs. The city recently settled the lawsuit for $225,000.
Police raided James Keten’s home after obtaining a warrant, and two days after meeting with James himself regarding their investigation. Police were looking for a semi-automatic assault rifle that had been used in an April 3, 2011 shooting. The suspect in that shooting, Lamont Keten, was James’ brother.
The police entered James Keten’s home while his 1 and 3 year old children were eating breakfast at the kitchen table. The police immediately shot one of the dogs upon entering, and shot the second dog in the kitchen. Some of the blood from the dog shot in the kitchen splattered on the 3 year old girl. The girl has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and now sees a therapist. The lawsuit further alleged that the officers beat James Keten in the head, neck, and face, ordered him to “shut up” while using profanity and racial slurs. The wife’s purse was searched and the officers took $9,400 from it. The officers also broke furniture and tore down curtains. Ultimately the gun was not found in the home, and neither James Keten nor his wife were arrested.
If you or someone you love has been a victim of a civil rights abuse by governmental agency, contact the attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211.