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Two seek money after SWAT raid
By LEANORA MINAI
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- A month after a police SWAT team accidentally set afire a house it raided for drugs, the homeowner and tenant are firing back. Myria Major wants a new house erected on the site. Her tenant, Christopher Crosdale, wants the city to pay for his recording studio equipment and for his rap and reggae recordings. Crosdale values his property at more than $100,000. "I grew up in the house, and I can't believe the city of St. Petersburg would have the audacity to do something like this over a bag of reefer," said Major, 39, who received $350 a month in rent. Permission to raid the house, at 1341 19th St. S, was given after officers told a judge that two confidential informers had bought pot from people inside. During the raid June 12, an officer threw a "distraction device" to surprise the occupants, who lived in the two-story house and operated Marcus House Studios from the downstairs. But heat from the device ignited foam rubber used on walls for soundproofing. No one was injured, no arrests were made and no drugs were recovered, police said. The matter remains under police review. The city recently received claim notices from Major and Crosdale, who, together, are seeking more than $200,000 for what they lost. The city's risk management office has six months to investigate the fire and decide how much, if any, money should be paid. The matter could end up in court if the city does not pay for the damage. John Hamilton, an assistant city attorney, said the city is evaluating what caused the fire. He believes the foam rubber on the walls was a code violation. "We're certainly looking into that," Hamilton said. Police supervisors maintain that the SWAT team was not negligent. The distraction device, similar to a firecracker, is commonly used as an element of surprise and to protect officers and people inside. It emits a loud bang and flash of light but contains no gas. "There was no way for the officers to have known about that," Maj. Tim Story said of the foam rubber. "It's not something we would normally find inside a dwelling." Major, the homeowner, said Wednesday that she wants her house demolished and a new one built in its place. Her attorney, Bradley J. Wood, said it could cost up to $122,060, according to current square foot construction estimates, to build a house on the property. Her house, built in 1958, was valued at $24,700 last year, according to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's Office. Crosdale, her 33-year-old tenant, wants to be reimbursed for his clothes, 20 to 50 recordings, musical instruments and equipment. "We're not talking about some maniacal murderer," said Crosdale's attorney, Joel Yanchuck. "Drugs are bad, but you don't have to blow up the house to find out."
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
