Mistaken Police Raid Raises Questions and Concerns
A Veteran’s Harrowing Experience
Naomi Simmons, an Air Force veteran who served in Afghanistan, says she was alone on June 14 at the home she shares with her 7-year-old daughter when a sudden banging startled her.
"Heard a loud bam on my daughter’s room window," Simmons said. "When I opened the door, there were two guns pointed at me… I said, why are you guys at my door pointing guns?"
The men with guns were Miami-Dade Police officers, but Simmons says they didn’t announce who they were before she opened the door.
"They didn’t say anything, so I just thought it was random people," she added.
The Raid: A Mistaken Search
Simmons says officers told her they had a warrant for a man named Marquise Wiley, wanted for a felony gun charge. "It was an address that he had on his I.D.," she said.
She says officers told her the address on Northwest 22nd Avenue was previously associated with Wiley, though Simmons and her daughter have lived in that home for over a year.
"I’m still not sleeping, I’m still having nightmares," she said.
A Veteran’s Lament
Simmons, an Air Force veteran who served in Afghanistan, says the encounter left her afraid and angry. "I already suffer from PTSD from my time in Afghanistan," she said. "A lot of people got killed like that," said her neighbor, Only Bryant, who is also a veteran.
The Aftermath: A Search Warrant
Simmons says as soon as officers left her home, she got on her cellphone, and within minutes, on a court website, she was able to find where Wiley actually was. "The person was already incarcerated," she said.
In fact, Wiley had been in custody for months, dealing with two criminal cases in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. In January, he was transferred to a Broward jail to stand trial for his involvement in a 2020 masked robbery at a jewelry store. On May 9, he was found guilty in that case and sentenced to 10 years and three months in state prison.
"I was able to find it with no resources and a cellphone on my couch," Simmons said.
Investigation and Apology
Miami-Dade Police tell us a judge then issued a warrant to bring Wiley back to Miami-Dade County for his ongoing gun case. The Broward Sheriff’s Office says he was in their jail that whole time until he was transferred to state prison on June 13, a day before Miami-Dade officers went to Simmons’ home.
"He was at the prison before they even came to my door," Simmons said.
Conclusion
The incident has left Simmons with more questions than answers. "Frustrating and scary because you see all these things on the news about people that look like me, men and women who are getting killed because police showed up at the wrong house," she said.
FAQs
Q: How could this mistake happen?
A: Miami-Dade Police did not check the Broward County database, which showed Wiley was already in custody.
Q: What is the status of Marquise Wiley?
A: He was found guilty in a 2020 masked robbery at a jewelry store and is currently serving a 10-year, 3-month sentence in state prison.
Q: What is the current status of the investigation?
A: Miami-Dade Police are investigating, and no further action has been taken at this time.
