The lawsuit alleges that MPD and Brooklyn Center officers fabricated a child’s emergency call after seeing a plastic doll and broke into the home

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, Minn. – Two Minneapolis police officers and a Brooklyn Center officer saw the doll in the woman’s home but falsely labeled it a “child in danger” in order to break in and search the apartment without a warrant, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this week.

The lawsuit filed by Yolanda Mays and Tommy Holmes names two Minneapolis police officers, Andrew Schroeder and Mark Suchta, as defendants, as well as Brooklyn Center police officer Alan Salvosa and the city of Minneapolis. They are accused of unlawful search and violating the civil rights of Mays and Holmes.

The lawsuit says Mays was not home when Schroeder and Suchta arrived at her home on March 21, 2023. Holmes, however, was in the basement. Minneapolis officers said they were investigating the case, even though Mays’ home was not linked to any actual investigation.

After arriving at the scene, Schroeder reviewed and read some of Mays’ mail, according to the lawsuit.

Suchta looked out the window and saw the doll on the couch in the home and two MPD officers were discussing whether it was a doll or a real baby. Suchta said he believed it was a doll, but Schroeder called Brooklyn Center Emergency Services and reported that a possible child was in danger, according to the lawsuit.

They were soon joined by Salvosa, who looked out the window to see the doll, which the lawsuit says “does not look like a real baby” because it has “stitches at the joints, is shiny plastic, and is not particularly realistic.” ”

Salvosa kicked in the door of Mays’ home even though Brooklyn Center police had access to the door code information, according to the lawsuit. The officers then searched the house and garage. Documents show that Salvosa’s actions caused damage to the door, door frame and house.

The lawsuit alleges that officers “used the surveillance of the child as an excuse” to enter Mays’ home and “conduct an illegal and unauthorized search.” As a result, according to the lawsuit, Holmes and Mays experienced invasion of privacy, stigma, stress and trauma.

The city of Minneapolis is also named in the lawsuit because Schroeder has had about 20 disciplinary cases since 2015, some of which involve conducting illegal searches, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit accuses the city of failing to effectively discipline and police earlier illegal searches that led to Schroeder and Suchta’s “unconstitutional conduct.”

Minneapolis police said they were unable to comment on pending legal proceedings. WCCO-TV also reached out to Brooklyn Center for comment but has not yet received a response.