Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Jun 13: In a significant ruling, the US Supreme Court has paved the way for an Atlanta family to sue the federal government after FBI agents mistakenly raided their home during a pre-dawn operation eight years ago.

In 2017, Hilliard Toi Cliatt and Curtrina Martin were jolted awake when a heavily armed FBI SWAT team stormed their suburban Atlanta residence. The team, targeting suspected gang members, had the wrong address. The agents used a battering ram to smash the front door, deployed a flash-bang grenade, and held the couple at gunpoint.

The raid, which lasted less than five minutes, left the couple traumatized. Agents reportedly handcuffed Cliatt and dragged him from a closet, while Martin pleaded to check on her son sleeping in another room.

The FBI later admitted the mistake. Special agent Lawrence Guerra, who had used personal GPS to locate the house, discovered he had led the team to 3756 Denville Trace instead of the intended 3741 Landau Lane. He apologized, released Cliatt, and later returned with information on how to claim property damage compensation.

Though the couple initially faced dismissal of their case in lower courts, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the lower appellate court used the wrong legal standard. The case will now return to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for reconsideration.

This ruling comes under a 1974 amendment to federal law allowing citizens to sue the government in cases of law enforcement negligence—especially after several wrongful raids in the past. The decision has renewed discussions on police accountability and the need for stricter safeguards in federal operations.