'Pray for the Baby': Police Raid 'Wrong House' with a 17-Month-Old Special-Needs Boy Inside

In a surprising development, law enforcement in Elyria, Ohio, utilized explosive flash-bangs during a home raid where a special-needs toddler on a ventilator was present. The family of the infant claimed that the police targeted the incorrect residence, resulting in harm to their child and his subsequent hospitalization.

On the afternoon of January 10, 2024, a routine day for an Elyria, Ohio, family turned into a distressing ordeal when their residence became the unexpected target of a police raid. The incident involved a 17-month-old special-needs boy named Waylon, whose family has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to address the aftermath of the traumatic event.

According to the family's detailed account on the fundraising platform, the incident unfolded at precisely 2:12 p.m. The family claims that what began as a calm afternoon abruptly transformed when law enforcement knocked forcefully on their door, barging inside and shattering windows.

In the chaos, the family contends that multiple guns were pointed at them, and the smoke allegedly endangered Waylon, who relies on a ventilator. They claim they screamed about Waylon's vulnerable condition but were forcibly removed from the house and handcuffed.

Numerous individuals have expressed solidarity with baby Waylon, empathizing with the challenges faced by the little boy and his family.

According to their narrative, Waylon suffered burns on his eyes, chest, arm, and neck during the raid. "They caused my baby to struggle to breathe. They caused my baby to have to go all day without eating. They caused my baby to go through horrendous pain. Imagine a defenseless baby, laying in chemical-filled air burning his eyes, body, lungs, [and] heart for almost half an hour," expressed Waylon's mom, Courtney Price.

The family shared their shock and frustration, stating that their pleas for the police to recognize the mistake were met with a belated apology, with law enforcement reportedly admitting they had targeted the "wrong house."

Adding to the complexity of the situation, the family asserts that a quick Google search would have revealed the correct address, as the individual the police were allegedly searching for had updated their address in court records three weeks prior.

The family claims they had informed the police on multiple occasions that the sought-after individual no longer resided at their address. In the aftermath, the family is grappling with medical bills and has turned to the online community for support, with the online fundraising page raising $41,663 of the $50,000 goal as of January 18, 2024.

Contradicting this account, the Elyria Police Department issued a press release on January 13, 2024. According to the police statement, detectives had obtained a court-authorized search warrant for the residence at 331 Parmely Ave., Elyria, Ohio, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. The release acknowledged the use of "flash-bangs" during the tactical operation but emphasized that these devices do not contain chemical agents.

The police version of events maintains that, after entering the residence, they found an adult female and a 17-month-old child. The child's mother reportedly informed officers about the pre-existing medical condition and expressed intent to take the child to the hospital.

Contrary to the family's claims of burns and respiratory distress, the police asserted that the child did not sustain any apparent, visible injuries. They called an ambulance to provide medical attention, disputing any allegations of negligence and chemical exposure. The police statement concluded by stating that claims of harm to the child were untrue.

In response to the extreme and deeply concerning allegations against the Elyria Police Department, Mayor Brubaker announced on January 16, 2024, that a comprehensive review of the incident was underway.

The Mayor ordered the release of video footage from several officers' body-worn cameras, with the first set of footage expected to be made public by the end of the day. He expressed gratitude for the technology that captured events in real-time and assured residents of the City's commitment to transparency.

On January 17, Mayor Brubaker provided an update on the Parmely Ave video footage and the ongoing investigation. Acknowledging the extreme nature of the allegations, the Mayor disclosed that the review process of the footage captured by body-worn cameras had been completed.

Clear video and audio of the search warrant execution, both inside and outside the home, were released to the public, along with statements and reports from individuals on the scene.

Mayor Brubaker emphasized that while the footage illustrated the events during the execution of the search warrant, it did not address the questions surrounding the warrant's issuance. In response, an external investigation was requested, with the Lorain County Sheriff's Office beginning an inquiry into both the warrant acquisition process and the incident itself.

Since the worrying news hit the public, many people have weighed in on the matter and expressed solidarity with baby Waylon, empathizing with the challenges faced by the little boy and his family. One user deemed the police's purported actions as "Inexcusable!" while another requested others to "Pray for the baby." A third commenter extended sympathy, stating, "Prayers for the baby that is suffering," and a different netizen conveyed supportive thoughts for the child.

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