‘So Much Trauma’: FBI Agents Raided the Wrong House, Pointing Guns at Terrified 7-Year-Old Black Boy and His Family, But Court Says Qualified Immunity Protects Agency Against Legal Action

A Georgia couple is still seeking justice nearly seven years after the FBI mistakenly raided their home when agents showed up at the wrong address. Curtrina Martin and her then-fiancé, Hilliard Toi Cliatt, were unintended victims of the raid at their Atlanta home in 2017, but their quest for accountability has been complicated by qualified immunity protections, which shield government officials from being held liable for mistakes during official duties. Martin’s 7-year-old son was home at the time of the terrifying mix-up. Curtrina Martin’s home was mistakenly raided by the FBI in 2017. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/11 Alive) Despite Martin’s attempts to seek justice, an April ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found that FBI Special Agent Lawrence Guerra, who led the raid, did not violate the Constitution, even though the operation targeted the wrong house.& The house the agents were actually looking for was approximately one block away. Martin and Cliatt sued, but the court found that Guerra had taken reasonable steps to prepare for the raid, and that his actions were appropriate given the similarities between the homes and the poor visibility at the time. The lawsuit was refiled but it remains snared the legal system, while...