Jeffersonville woman held at gunpoint files lawsuit

Clark County

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July 24, 2009

Suit claims SWAT team entered home without warrant following shooting of two officers

By MATT THACKER The News and Tribune Fri Jul 24, 2009, 05:14 PM EDT

A woman who claims SWAT team members barged into her house and held her at gunpoint following the shooting of two Jeffersonville police officers in February has filed a lawsuit against several area police departments.

Ronald and Brenda Greenwell filed notice of a claim last week against Charlestown, Jeffersonville and Clarksville and each of their police departments. Jeffersonville and Clarksville police deny their officers were part of the SWAT team.

The Greenwells home on the 3800 block of Hamburg Pike in Jeffersonville was reportedly entered Feb. 19 or 20 shortly after Cpl. Dan Lawhorn and Officer Keith Broady were shot at the Motel 6 in Jeffersonville. Jeffersonville Police Department Detective Todd Hollis said after the shooting that SWAT members responded to leads at several locations.

A notice of claim sent to all parties named in the lawsuit states that the officers entered the Greenwell residence without a search warrant and never identified themselves.

Brenda Greenwell said she was treated with “hostility and abusive language” as police pointed a gun at her. The lawsuit states that she was forced to seek medical help for physical and emotional pain she suffered from the ordeal.

No one was arrested at the residence.

The Greenwells claim their privacy was invaded and their constitutional rights were violated. The lawsuit states that damages have not been reasonably calculated, but will not be less than $250,000.

Ronald Greenwell said he would not comment on what happened because of the pending lawsuit and directed questions to his attorney, J. Bart McMahon, who was not available Friday.

At least two of the police departments named in the lawsuit deny their officers were part of the SWAT team.

“I feel comfortable saying that the Jeffersonville Police Department SWAT team was not directly involved in going into that house,” JPD Assistant Chief David Marble said. “We got involved later on that night.”

Marble said he could not comment on which agencies were involved.

Matt Koesters, spokesman for Charlestown, said the city’s policy is to not comment on pending litigation.

Clarksville Police Chief Dwight Ingle said he does not believe any of his officers entered the home.

The Greenwells’ home was not the only location targeted as law enforcement scrambled to find the suspected shooter. Ingle described the scene as “chaos” when the SWAT team responded to a call in Clarksville.

He said a report came from dispatch that someone ran out in the street and yelled that he just shot two police officers.

Ingle said that by the time his officers arrived that the scene, about 20 police officers from other area departments were already there. He said most of them were running around in civilian clothing and were not marked.

Ingle said that after he arrived at the scene, he spoke with SWAT team leaders and told them he still had authority in Clarksville.

“We had some words,” Ingle said. “I said, ‘If you’re going to run a Keystone Cops operation, you go for it. All my guys are going to be properly marked.’”

Ingle said he thought all of the police departments needed to be more organized.

“You can’t let SWAT officers or anyone else run wild,” he said.

Both police officers survived the shooting. Robert Datillo, who police later determined to be the shooter, reportedly killed himself after a SWAT team standoff in Louisville.

Two others were charged with assisting a criminal allegedly for helping Datillo obtain a room at the Motel 6.