Columbia, MO — A local couple from Columbia has filed a federal lawsuit claiming significant injuries and emotional trauma following an aggressive police raid at their home in June 2023. DJ and Joy Lynch allege that the incident, involving the Columbia Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, resulted in both physical harm and psychological distress.
According to the legal documents submitted to the Western District of Missouri, the encounter took place on June 22, when six officers arrived at the Lynches’ residence in northeastern Columbia to assist in the custody retrieval of their children. The lawsuit identifies Sgt. Roger Schlude and Tanner Gillespie among the responders, with several others noted anonymously as Does 1-10.
The plaintiffs are charging the officers with several violations, including an infringement of the Fourth Amendment, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to their legal claim. The litigation emphasizes the ordeal began abruptly as police officers allegedly forced entry into their home without providing adequate time for the couple to respond voluntarily.
Details of the incident reveal that DJ Lynch, initially in the basement, approached the front door after noticing officers outside and inquired about their presence. The lawsuit contends that officers then forcibly breached the door using a police shield, despite DJ’s attempts to communicate.
Body camera footage, which was later obtained, shows an intense exchange wherein Sgt. Schlude announced police presence and repeatedly requested entry, while a female voice, later identified as Joy Lynch, asked the officers to pause. During the unfolding scenario, officers commented on her requests, which escalated to the forceful entry when a child was heard screaming.
The confrontation intensified inside the home. Video evidence displays DJ Lynch being pepper-sprayed and tackled, while police also allegedly shoved Joy Lynch to the ground, causing her to be partially undressed, and subjecting her to multiple hits to the head by officer Gillespie.
Attorney Jonathan Nicol, representing the Lynches, criticized the police’s actions as excessive. “The experience was extreme and outrageous,” Nicol stated. “They were at their own home, not committing any crime. It was essentially an invasion.”
Following the event, the body camera captured DJ Lynch handcuffed in a police vehicle, protesting the unnecessary aggression since he had surrendered peacefully, highlighting that his primary concern was for the children, who were audibly distressed.
The aftermath of the raid left Joy Lynch with a concussion, cuts, and bruises. DJ Lynch sustained a shoulder injury during the altercation. The couple is now seeking justice and fair compensation through a jury trial as stated in their lawsuit.
Further complicating matters, court records from January reveal that DJ Lynch faces charges of felony tampering with a judicial officer, rooted in allegations of threatening behavior towards court personnel who were involved in a prior case regarding his children.
Columbia Police Department has refrained from commenting on the pending litigation, maintaining a policy of non-disclosure on active legal matters.
As the legal process unfolds, the actions taken during the incident continue to be scrutinized, with the Lynches aspiring to bring attention to their case as an instance of questionable police conduct.
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