Police wrongly raided my home. It's not an isolated mistake. | Opinion

When Chicago police came to my door on Feb. 21, 2019, officers said they were looking for a criminal. Instead, they found me, a social worker, alone in my home, naked as I was changing clothes, believing I was safe.

Even though the warrant listed a man’s name, they forced their way in, handcuffed me while naked and left me standing there – humiliated, exposed and terrified – as they searched every room of my home. I kept asking who they were looking for and why they were there, but my questions were met with silence and indifference.

In that moment, I was not treated as a human being. I was treated as if my dignity did not matter. More than a year later, a police accountability board found that officers committed nearly 100 acts of misconduct during the search of my home.

But no report can fully capture what it feels like to have your sense of safety shattered, your trust broken and your humanity questioned in your own home.

Supreme Court must strengthen Fourth Amendment protections we've lost

My story is not just about what happened to me. It is about what can happen to anyone when there is no accountability. Since that terrible night, I’ve dedicated myself to trying to prevent what happened to me from happening to anyone else.

I don’t believe we need to do anything radical to prevent mistakes like this from happening. The U.S. Constitution contains an important safeguard that has been ignored for far too long. If the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case recently appealed to it – Mendenhall v. Denver – warrants would be granted with more care.

The Fourth Amendment requires that “no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” Today, while probable cause is still required, the “Oath or affirmation” has lost its meaning.

Officers can rely on hearsay to obtain warrants. While many people are familiar with the idea that testimony should come directly from a witness, in practice, judges often never hear from the person with firsthand knowledge.

In my case, the police relied on a confidential informant who pointed to the wrong home. That person never testified before a judge.

I believe a judge might have been more skeptical if the informant had to speak directly. A trained officer will often appear more credible than a private citizen, which is why we must ensure testimony is not filtered or misrepresented.

My story isn't unique. Others have been deadly.

I am not the only one. Families in Chicago, Atlanta and Houston have experienced similar raids based on faulty or fabricated information. We cannot ignore the devastating consequences, including the loss of life in cases like Breonna Taylor.

These are not isolated mistakes – they are systemic failures. Now, the Supreme Court has an opportunity to restore the original meaning of the Fourth Amendment.

In the case before the nation's highest court, Michael Mendenhall was jailed after police relied on multiple layers of secondhand information to obtain a warrant. Charges were later dropped, but the damage had already been done. His case highlights how far we have strayed from constitutional protections.

Today, police regularly execute warrants with military-style tactics. With that level of power must come greater responsibility. The Constitution already provides the framework – we simply need to honor it.

I hope the court will take this opportunity to put our country back on the right path.

Anjanette L. Young is a licensed clinical social worker who works with families who have experienced trauma. She recently released a book, “Past The Pain,” on how to emerge from trauma with purpose.