texas

Wrong Address Leads Police to Force Entry into the Wrong Arlington Home

Arlington Police are apologizing for an error that led officers to break into a family's south Arlington home while responding to a domestic disturbance. But a wrong address led police to the wrong home.

"About midnight we just heard this 'bang, bang, bang,'" explained Tommy Osbakken. "We thought we were encountering a home invasion."

Osbakken said he and his wife had just returned from a family vacation. They considered grabbing their guns.

"And then we heard the magic words: 'Arlington Police Department,'" Osbakken said.

Osbakken said it didn't take long for officers to realize there was a mistake.

"The police were sent to the wrong home altogether," he said. "Nothing really happened, but my family was completely terrorized in our own living room."

Osbakken said the officers were extremely apologetic once they realized their mistake.

"The cops were completely professional," he said. "I don't want to throw them under the bus at all."

Osbakken said he doesn't want anything from police except a new door. He's also hoping whatever led to the error doesn't happen to another family in the future.

It appears one wrong number in the address led to the mistake. Police are investigating whether it came from the 911 caller, the dispatcher or an officer responding to the call. Police eventually responded to the correct home.

Osbakken thought back to the moment he considered grabbing his gun, thinking it was an intruder.

"You're in Texas. We all have firearms," he explained. "One thing differently, and things could have been completely different. We're very lucky people."

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