Police Officer Tells Woman 'I Own Your House Now' After He Enters Her Home Without Permission — 'I Don't Care If You Know Your Rights'
He may not care if she knows her rights, but a lawyer and judge surely will.
Kindel Media | Shutterstock Ask any lawyer and they'll tell you that it's vital that you know your basic constitutional rights, especially when it comes to dealing with law enforcement.
A recent viral video underlines just how important this is. A woman's encounter with a police officer quickly crossed lines into territory many say was not just illegal, but unconstitutional.
The video shows a cop barging into a woman's home without a warrant and declaring, 'I own your house now.'
The incident occurred near Riverside, California when Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Martin Huizar went to the home of a woman named Adele, whose neighbor had called in a noise complaint.
Adele says that her "Karen" neighbors claimed noise from Adele's home was disturbing their sleep while she was hosting guests in her backyard.
But notably, in video footage from Adele's doorbell camera which shows the deputy arriving, there is no noise heard coming from the house whatsoever. She said the deputy himself later admitted he heard no noise when he approached.
Huizar stormed into the house after a minor opened and then closed the door upon seeing him.
Despite the lack of noise, things quickly escalated when one of Adele's guests, whom she said was a minor, opened the door and, surprised to see Huizar approaching, immediately shut it. Presumably, the child was startled and went to get an adult.
But the reason isn't really relevant — shutting a door on a cop is not grounds for said cop to barge into your house without consent unless they have a warrant. In fact, you aren't even required to answer the door to a cop at all if they don't have a warrant.
Adele knows this very basic fundament of the law, which is clearly stated in the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Outside of exceptions such as emergencies, welfare checks, or pursuits of fugitives, the Fourth Amendment protects citizens from "unreasonable searches and seizures" by government and law enforcement unless they have a warrant and probable cause.
Huizar had neither. That didn't stop him from immediately storming into Adele's house and then refusing to leave no matter what she said or did.
Huizar told Adele, 'I own your house' and 'I don't care if you know your rights,' then hurled her against the wall and arrested her.
A frankly shocking shouting match quickly ensued in which Adele repeatedly refused to speak with the officer until he stepped outside her foyer and onto the porch outside, as is her protected right under the law.
Huizar not only repeatedly refused but, with obviously mounting anger, insisted he had every right to be there "because they opened the door and ran from me."
That's not how the law works, and Huizar knows it, but he doubled down to a frankly comical degree. "I'm telling you that now that I'm inside your house, I own your house right now," he bellowed at Adele.
She had the only reasonable reaction to such absurdity: She laughed in his face and informed him she knew her rights. "I don't care if you know your rights," was Huizar's response.
But the incident took an even more disturbing turn when Huizar suddenly grabbed Adele's arm, hurled her up against the wall, and placed her under arrest while she protested, "You're in my home!"
Her terrified kids and family can be heard pleading with both of them to de-escalate, but Huizar clearly had no intention of doing so.
Adele has been charged with resisting arrest despite breaking no laws and her rights having been violated. She is now fundraising for legal representation.
The incident sparked outrage online and in the local Riverside community. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Facebook page has been flooded with outraged comments from local citizens expressing anger that they will not be forced to foot the bill with their tax dollars to litigate a crystal clear case of a police officer's brazen abuse of power.
"Residents of Riverside County, you are about to open up your checkbooks," wrote one angry commenter.
Another commenter, a former officer himself, was particularly mystified. "I spent 20 years in law enforcement in Florida, and in my entire career, I never saw anything as egregiously unconstitutional as this," he wrote. "I am mystified that this criminal deputy was not fired immediately. It’s truly baffling."
As for Adele, she has now been reduced to begging for help on the internet to fight Huizar's and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's mind-bogglingly lawless disrespect for the Constitution.
In a GoFundMe post requesting help paying for legal representation, she wrote that she needs lawyers specializing in criminal defense and civil rights, both of which are cost-prohibitive for her and her family.
She also said that she intends to fight for the greater good of all citizens living under America's increasingly militarized police forces, the overreach of which has attracted international attention, including from the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights.
"This is not just about ME," Adele wrote. "It is about standing up against injustice and ensuring that those who are entrusted to protect and serve do not abuse their power.
"It is sad," she continued, "that we have to learn to never open the door for the people that are supposed to be out protecting us."
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice, and human interest topics.