CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — A woman who was handcuffed at gunpoint by Chicago Police while naked is speaking out nearly two years after officers raided the wrong home because she says the public needs to know what happened to her.
Anjanette Young said she is a private person, but her privacy was violated by the people who are supposed to serve and protect.
Young’s story has garnered national attention. It is a case that the city of Chicago went to court to keep a secret.
“That night, Feb. 21, 2019, will be something that I will carry with me always,” Young said.
On that night, nearly two years ago, the social worker was in her home when police busted down her door with a search warrant.
“You’ve got the wrong house, I live alone,” Young explained to officers.
Bodycam video shows Young crying and pleading for an explanation. She was told by officers to “relax.”
Young told officers 43 times they were in the wrong home. Police had been looking for a suspect they believed had a gun, ammunition and a small number of drugs.
He was actually next door and on an electronic monitoring system.
“You don’t have to be a police officer or detective to know the person you’re looking for is next door,” said attorney Keenan Saulter.
Young and her attorney said the city went to court to keep the video from public view.
“Making me stand in front of them naked, putting handcuffs on me while I was naked – no one should have to experience that,” Young said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed the fiasco. She apologized directly to Young.
“I was completely and totally appalled as a human being, as a Black woman and a parent, but absent that reality I could have easily been Ms. Young,” Lightfoot said.
She said she was blindsided by the video and uninformed by her own corporation counsel and police department.
“If you can hear, my voice is hoarse,” Lightfoot said. “I have been unsparing to all in this colossal mess.”
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability claims it is still investigating the situation nearly two years later.
“It’s been 20 months since this incident occurred. What’s left to investigate?” said Saulter. “She told the story on the video 43 times: you’ve got the wrong house.”
The mayor is demanding that COPA swiftly finish its investigation.
In the meantime, Young’s attorney has pulled a federal lawsuit against the city and police department. He said it will be refiled Monday morning in state court, which he said is a better venue to deal with allegations of battery, trespassing and violations of privacy.