POLICE MISTAKENLY RAID WRONG HOUSE

Officers with the Hendersonville Police Department mistakenly entered
the wrong house when executing a search warrant early Saturday morning.

Two teams of officers were executing a search warrant shortly after 1
a.m. at 729 Geneva St., when one team of three officers went to the
rear of the wrong house, said Capt. John Nicholson.

The team coming to the rear of the house had to cross yards and over a
fence, Nicholson said.

"The officers became disoriented, entered the wrong house and told the
people to get down," Nicholson said.

There was a party at 208 Oak St., the house entered by mistake and the
residence of Dennis and Sandra Braswell, Nicholson said.

"Two of the people at the party, when they saw the officers, took off
running," Nicholson said.

This added to the confusion.

"The third officer with the team realized they were at the wrong
house, told the rest of the team, and they began exiting," he said.

There were no injuries. There was minor damage to the house, Nicholson
said.

"The Police Department will see to it the damage is repaired," he
said. "We met with the owners and apologized.

"This has never happened before," Nicholson said.

There were some underage youths at the party on Oak Street, he said.
Officers notified the youths' parents, who came and picked up the
young people.

One-half of the police officers entered the correct house and arrested
James Darden. Darden was charged with sale and delivery of crack
cocaine. Marijuana and crack cocaine paraphernalia were found in the
house on Geneva Street.

The Police Department is conducting an internal investigation,
Nicholson said.