It looked like the same house where undercover officers had twice purchased drugs, Dalton police said. So late Tuesday, officers busted through the home’s front door.
Only it was the wrong house.
Eric Ashton, who lives on Whittle Drive, had allegedly twice sold marijuana to officers, according to Bruce Frazier, spokesman for Dalton police on Thursday.
On Tuesday night, detectives from the department’s drug unit planned to execute a search warrant and arrest warrant, Frazier said in an emailed statement.
“Detectives drove by the scene Tuesday evening and observed that Ashton’s truck was in the driveway of the residence and people could be seen inside the residence,” Frazier said. “Detectives decided to wait until approximately 11:00 pm to serve the warrants in order to assemble enough personnel to conduct the operation.”
When detectives returned, they instead went to a neighboring home on Whittle Drive, which is nearly identical to the targeted home, Frazier said. No one answered the door, and after several minutes, officers used a ram device to force their way through the door.
Homeowner Justin Faulknor told Channel 2 Action News he was surprised when the officers entered his house. But he wasn’t angry.
“Things happen. Accidents happen, so it’s just one of those things,” Faulknor said. “They’ve rectified it, and they’ve got me a new door, so I’m not really worried about it.”
Detectives apologized when they realized they’d entered the wrong house, Frazier said. On Wednesday, officers repaired the door and ordered a new, identical door to replace the damaged door, he said.
“Officials are currently conducting a review of this incident to determine what procedural errors, if any, may have taken place and ensure that this type of mistake does not happen again,” Frazier said.
Ashton was arrested Thursday morning without incident, Frazier said.
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