Police Raid on Vulnerable Home Sparks Outrage and Concern

A dramatic police raid on a supported independent living home in Perth's eastern suburbs has sparked outrage and concern for the welfare of vulnerable residents. The incident, which involved eight police officers and two Tactical Response Group members, left residents and support workers shaken and traumatized.

Raid on Supported Living Home

Cameras throughout the home captured the moment police smashed down the front door and ran inside, shouting "Police! Search Warrant!" Support worker Uddey, who has asked for his last name not to be used, described the terrifying scene:

"We heard the sound of the boots and shouting noises … there were seven or eight cops … they were armed as well."

"They just came up to us, pointed the gun into our face and told us to put our hands up."

Uddey and the other support worker were handcuffed and told to lay on the ground. "They told us you're under arrest. And I was like, 'what's going on?'" Uddey said.

A WA Police spokesperson said detectives were executing a drug search warrant on two properties at the address, with intelligence suggesting they were occupied by a person of interest in an investigation. However, it was soon determined that the NDIS-supported home was not linked to the investigation.

Criticism of Police Response

Tyler Burness, whose company leases and runs the home, criticized the police response, saying they could have avoided the situation if they had called him first. "The residents thankfully were not detained or cuffed [but] they did have weapons pointed at them which is another concern," he said.

"Because the only two people that were supposed to be there to assist with supporting them, were detained. If they potentially felt threatened, they may have launched themselves at a police officer and then the only people who could help them were on the floor cuffed with their hands behind their backs."

Burness said it should have been obvious that it was a supported home, with behavior support plans and medication charts visible on the walls. "If they [police] had just looked away from the team and up at the walls, they would have seen behaviour support plans and medication charts and things like that," he said. "It's so obvious."

Outcomes of the Search

The search of the adjacent property led to officers finding methylamphetamine, cannabis, drug paraphernalia, and weapons, police said, and two men were taken into custody.

WA Police said compensation for broken property items, such as doors, was only provided by police when entry was forced and no offences had been identified. However, Burness said he had not been offered any form of compensation.

The incident has left emotional and physical impacts on the residents and support workers. Burness said the three residents needed ongoing support to deal with their resulting anxiety.

"One resident living with a schizophrenic disorder believed that the police officer was there for them … and from that point it has been difficult to de-escalate,"

Uddey has returned to work with support from Burness, who paid for counselling and physical therapy. However, the underlying fear of the incident remains with him.

"You're just working, having a little bit of a break … and suddenly, when you see the police and everyone pointing the guns on you, telling you you are under arrest, obviously you … get freaked out,"

Burness is calling for acknowledgement from police that a mistake was made and some level of compensation. He said he would soon relocate his business and would consider lodging a formal complaint with the Corruption and Crime Commission.

"Do I blame the individual police? No. Do I blame a dysfunctional system? Yes,"

"And especially when you look at the consequences of that broken system, it's now up to us as a business to rectify their issues and their actions."