PITTSBURGH — A building owner is suing the City of Pittsburgh, its police department and detectives George Satler and William Mudron, citing alleged unlawful seizure of property, unreasonable entry of property, Monell liability and negligence for damage to personal property.
S.H. filed a complaint on Jan. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against the defendants, alleging they searched plaintiff’s premises unreasonably and without a valid warrant and without a valid legal basis.
According to the complaint, on Dec. 30, 2017, an affidavit for a search warrant was released in relation to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Wylie Ave. The building is owned by the plaintiff. Defendants called plaintiff to perform the search but were advised that no one was in the building to open the door, the suit says.
The complaint states defendants forcefully entered the property. When plaintiff returned home two days later, she says the building's back door was wide open and damaged. Police officers allegedly returned two-and-a-half weeks later to return the video surveillance system they had seized, which was reportedly permanently damaged.
S.H. says the defendants forcefully entered into plaintiff’s premises in an unreasonable manner that violated the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendants to include, but not be limited to, compensatory damages, attorney’s fees and costs of suit, and other relief as deemed appropriate by the court. She is represented by Jennifer O. Price of Murrysville.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Case No. is 2:19-cv-00074-MJH.