No matter how good we are at our jobs, it's inevitable that we'll end up making a few mistakes. For the most part, these mistakes are small enough that we just grumble through whatever we have to do to fix it and share an embarrassed chuckle with our friends afterwards.
However, the only people likely to do much laughing about the chaotic events of one failed police raid weren't around to experience it.
After arriving at a suspected drug den, they burst in with weapons drawn towards what they hoped would be a group of surprised and disorganized dealers.
As The Guardian reported, they were, in fact, officers from the city's 12th Precinct who were posing as dealers.
As police body camera footage of the incident showed, officers quickly became confused and frustrated as they barked orders at each other and argued about their search warrants.
According to The Guardian, the body camera on the officer inside the house was knocked off in the struggle, but the developing fight was captured by another camera out front.
Considering that the chaos started with one group of officers holding the other at gunpoint, it's easy to appreciate how much worse the results could've been when the situation escalated.
Speaking at a press conference, Police Chief James Craig called it both one of the most embarrassing things he's seen in the department since he became chief and one of the most disappointing events he's experienced in his 40 years on the force.
"They appear to be like Keystone Cops. I could not agree more," Craig said in a clip included in WXYZ-TV Detroit's report.
At the moment, police suspect that failures in communication over the existence of the 11th Precinct's search warrant led to the fight breaking out.
Two officers have also been placed on restrictive duties, which means they will not be fully deployed and will remain off the streets.
As the New York Times reported, this generally happens after an officer has been injured, so these two officers are likely the same ones hurt in the fight.
According to WXYZ-TV Detroit, they will then decide if any criminal charges are appropriate for the officers involved.
Footage of the incident appears in the full video.
h/t: The Guardian, YouTube | WXYZ-TV Detroit
