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Levine & Levine Criminal Defense Attorney Sarissa Montague spoke with WZZM 13 about whether police had the right to destroy a house in Kalamazoo where a standoff took place, but the homeowner had no known ties to the suspect involved.
Now that the homeowner’s house is destroyed, did police have that right in the first place to destroy the home? In an interview with WZZM 13, Montague said it depends.
“It's an objective standard,” she said during her interview. “Was it objectively reasonable? Maybe, depending on the circumstance.”
Montague explained these “exigent circumstances.”
Police say gunfire was involved in the standoff, potentially putting officers in danger. Does that make the decision to bulldoze the home justifiable?
“That certainly could be one of the circumstances where police could enter a home without a warrant,” Montague told WZZM 13.
Watch Montague’s entire interview, here.