Denver Hit with $3.76 Million Fine After Botched Raid Triggered by Apple's Find My App

The city of Denver, Colorado, is facing a hefty $3.76 million bill due to the misapplication of Apple's Find My app. The payout stems from a botched police raid in 2022, where officers wrongly targeted the home of an elderly woman.

According to a CNN report, the Denver Police Department was attempting to locate a stolen truck containing guns, ammunition, and cash. They utilized Apple's Find My technology on an iPhone to pinpoint the vehicle's location.

However, the police zeroed in on the wrong residence.

The Aftermath of a Misplaced Raid

The ill-fated raid led to a lawsuit filed by 78-year-old Ruby Johnson. As a result, the city is obligated to pay Johnson $3.76 million in damages.

Furthermore, the officers involved—Detective Gary Staab and Sgt. Gregory Buschy—were also named as individual defendants. While the Denver Police Department initially cleared both men of any wrongdoing, the jury held a different view.

The Role of Apple's Find My App

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) represented Johnson in the case. The lawsuit argued that the raid was based on a misinterpreted location ping from an iPhone's Find My app, for which the officers lacked adequate training.

The complaint detailed that the police relied on a Find My ping from an iPhone 11, presumably still inside the stolen truck. However, the identified area encompassed portions of six other properties across four city blocks.

Tim Macdonald, Johnson's attorney, stated, "We are disturbed by the lack of training or policy changes and hope that the amount of the punitive damages award will send a strong message that the police department must take seriously the constitutional rights of its residents.”

The ACLU and the jury concluded that the two police officers who ordered the raid had no justification for singling out Johnson's house as the target.

The officers are also liable for nearly $1.25 million each in punitive and compensatory damages. A Denver District Court clerk indicated that the city has not yet filed an appeal against the verdict.