Flash-Bang Costs Oakland $1.2 Million

The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that the city of Oakland is responsible for a woman's permanent disfigurement - to the key of $1.2 million. 

The city will pay the amount to Nicole White, who suffered third-degree burns on over 11 percent of her body when a SWAT team member threw a "flash-bang" grenade into the home she was visiting.

White accused the police of using an "extreme level of force" when they tossed a grenade into the house on Douglas Avenue in East Oakland on October 31, 2008.

The City Council, in a closed meeting, approved the settlement without admitting any wrongdoing.

In the suit filed last year in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, White contended that the flash-bang grenade emits a loud noise, a blinding flash and is used to disorient dangerous suspects.  It can also severely burn innocent bystanders. 

White also believes that the raid was only conducted as a retaliation again Reginald Oliver who had some connections to the home.  Oliver had filed a class-action suit three days before where he accused police of falsifying search warrants. 

The City Council denies that there was any kind of link between the two incidents.

The SWAT team was called to the home because they believed that the residents were armed gang members.  Two shotguns, cocaine and heroin were found after the raid.

The city acknowledged that a 10-year veteran officer, Chris Saunders, fired the flash bang grenade into an unoccupied hallway.  From there it bounced off of a wall and flew into the living room where White was sleeping.  Her leg and chest were subsequently burned.

After spending almost a month at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, White incurred $400,000 in medical bills.

Patricia Wilson, a second woman hurt in the incident, has already received a $45,000 settlement from the city.

Police contend that they only used the flash bang grenade because Wilson opened the door to them at first and then shut it.  They had to break the door open to gain entry.

White's attorney, John Burris, said there was no reason to use the explosive.  The police had been here before, didn't use it, and this time they knew the occupants would have been asleep.

Neither Wilson or White were armed - the guns were found in the garage - so they were not arrested.

Burris said, "This was a real tragedy.  The conduct of the police was reprehensible."

Police had arrested Oliver in March of 2008 on drug charges.  During a search of his home they found 216 live rounds and a magazine for an assault weapon.  The case was dismissed as Officer Karla Rush had stated on a search warrant that alleged narcotics found had been confirmed as actual drugs.

As it was one of many allegedly false statements by Oakland police seeking warrants, Rush, and three other officers, were fired.

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