Terrible moment: Armed police using laser sights and assault rifles raid the wrong home and drag the homeowner to safety, even though he was wearing only a T-shirt and shorts.

  • Eddie Croasdell was handcuffed and taken outside his St Albans home.
  • The police were informed by the victim that someone was held at knifepoint and they arrived on scene to arrest him.  
  • Six other officers in uniform and nine armed policemen attended. 










After they had been searching for a knifeman, armed officers took an innocent man from his house wearing only his shirt and his pants.

Ring’s video doorbell captured dramatic footage of the moment laser guns from officers were pointed at Eddie Croasdell (56). He was taken into handcuffs outside his St Albans home, Hertfordshire. 

The Sun reported that Mr Croasdell had fled before police realized he wasn’t the man they wanted to find. 

An innocent homeowner was dragged from his home in his t-shirt and underpants by armed police after they targeted the wrong address while on the hunt for a knifeman

Armed police dragging an innocent homeowner from his house in his underwear and t-shirt after they searched for a knifeman at the wrong address.

The raid took place Sunday and included nine officers armed and six more uniformed police, two vans and three cars, as well as a dog unit. 

Innocent homeowner Eddie Croasdell

Innocent homeowner Eddie Croasdell

Croasdell, who has complained to police and is now considering legal action. 

He told The Sun: ‘I was woken up to bashing at my door on Sunday morning at 8.30am to see what looked like a platoon of US Marines standing outside.

“I was totally, completely scared. The lasers were painted on my face and I was shouted at by someone to “Put the hands over your heads”. 

‘I thought, “S*** they must think I’m a terrorist. I’m going to be shot.”

Croasdell stated that he tried to figure out if there were any wrongdoings which could explain his actions. 

Dramatic footage captured by a Ring video doorbell shows the moment that laser sights from officers' guns were pointed at Eddie Croasdell, 56, as he was put in handcuffs and dragged outside his home in St Albans, Hertfordshire

Ring recorded dramatic footage that Eddie Croasdell (56) was being held hostage outside his St Albans, Hertfordshire home.

Jack, the teenage son of the homeowner was also interrogated by police officers. However, Mr Croasdell claimed that his fear about having officers shoot his dog came after he saw it and started shouting.    

Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesmen said that “time was critical” in this raid due to the need to safeguard the ‘public safety. 

Officers arrived after being notified that someone had been held at knifepoint behind the flats.  

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