Denver to Pay Millions After Erroneous Police Raid Triggered by Apple's 'Find My' Data

The city of Denver, Colorado, is facing a hefty bill of $3.76 million in compensation and damages after its police force conducted a flawed raid on an elderly woman's home in 2022, relying on data from Apple's Find My app.

According to a CNN report, the Denver police were attempting to recover a stolen truck containing firearms, ammunition, and cash. They utilized Apple's Find My technology on an iPhone to pinpoint the vehicle's location.

However, the police mistakenly targeted the residence of 78-year-old Ruby Johnson. As a result of this error, Johnson filed a lawsuit against the Denver police. The city has been ordered to pay her $3.76 million as compensation.

In addition to the city being sued, the officers involved – Detective Gary Staab and Sgt. Gregory Buschy – were also named as individual defendants. Although the Denver police had initially cleared both men of any wrongdoing, the jury disagreed.

ACLU Highlights Misunderstanding 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 an "alleged location ping from an iPhone's Find My app that the officers did not understand and for which they had no training."

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

Attorney Tim Macdonald, representing Johnson, 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 authorized the raid lacked sufficient justification to single out Johnson's house as the target.

Furthermore, the officers are individually liable for nearly $1.25 million each in punitive and compensatory damages. According to a Denver District Court clerk, the city has not yet filed an appeal against the verdict.