FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact person: City Attorney Chet Adams, (775) 353-2324

 

Sparks, NV -The U.S. District Court for Nevada today dismissed a lawsuit brought by Michael and Lisa Fleiner against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and numerous officers of the Sparks Police Department SWAT team for what the Fleiners claimed was excessive and unreasonable damage done to their rental house during the execution of a Federal drug search warrant in May, 2008.  The warrant was only one of more than ten (10) being executed in a major drug raid.

 

Chet Adams, Sparks City Attorney, stated "I am pleased that the Court recognized the extreme danger to police officers posed these drug dealers.  I encourage all landlords in Sparks to protect their rental properties by not allowing this type of large scale drug activity".

 

In the course of executing the search warrant, every window and exterior door of the house was broken and two suspects and about 1.8 pounds of pure methamphetamine were seized.

 

The Federal Court found that "the safety risks involved to the officers in executing this type of warrant were extreme" and that "due to the inherently dangerous nature of the execution of that type of warrant" the Sparks SWAT team acted reasonably and did not violate the Fleiners' constitutional rights.  Due to that fact, the lawsuit was dismissed and cannot be reinstated by amending the claims.

 

***