What Happened

The home of John Liptrot Jr., 89, and his wife, Carol Liptrot, 73, on Darwin Avenue in Grand Rapids, Mich. was torn apart by Grand Rapids police during a search for a suspect who was no longer inside. Officers left holes in walls and ceilings, damaged furniture, and multiple rooms in disarray.

The incident occurred around 9:20 a.m. Sunday when police responded to a report of a domestic assault in the 1900 block of Darwin Avenue SW near Quigley Boulevard. A caller reported that a man and woman were fighting outside the home, with the man seen strangling the woman before they returned inside, according to a city spokesperson.

Police Response

Officers knocked on the door and heard arguing. After police repeatedly ordered occupants to open the door, an older man answered and let police inside. He told police that the couple who were fighting lived with him and his wife and that they had gone into the basement.

Police told the couple who had been fighting to come upstairs. The man responded by claiming he had a gun and threatening officers. Police escorted the elderly couple out and police left the house.

Because the suspect had threatened officers and the victim was still inside, the situation was treated as a hostage rescue. The Special Response Team and Crisis Negotiation Team responded.

Police tried to contact the suspect but there was no response. Using a search warrant, police entered and found the victim hiding in the basement. She was safely removed.

Police conducted a thorough search of the house but the suspect was not found. His family said he had fled through a back door.

Damage to Property

The daughter of the couple, Michelle Armstrong, said police ransacked their house, making it uninhabitable, while looking for her brother. Police pepper-sprayed the interior of the two-story house, including the basement, in an effort to smoke him out, but eventually left.

She said her brother, suspected of domestic violence, fled through the back door and was not caught. Her parents – John Liptrot Jr., 89, and his wife, Carol, 73 – are owed an apology by police, Armstrong said.

She also wants them to help with cleanup because no one can stay inside the house for longer than a few minutes without coughing from lingering pepper spray. Her parents haven't been back after leaving Sunday. Until that day, she had never seen her father cry.

"I've never seen him cry, so to see how hurt he was, being a veteran, serving our country, to come home to find his house and everything he worked for looked like that," she said.

Armstrong, standing in her parents' bedroom, described conditions before the search: "Everything was clean. You could walk in here and move around."

Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack, who has known the family most of his life, encouraged them to share their story. He said that during the search, police shattered windows, punched holes in walls and damaged the ceiling. He said a shower head was damaged and caused water to cause flooding and structural damage. He said personal belongings were scattered and damaged and furniture was broken.

"How do you send an 89-year-old man back in the house like this," Womack said.

Police Statement

In a statement, interim police Chief Joe Trigg said police were focused on protecting a domestic-assault victim and finding the suspect.

"Our highest priority was saving the victim's life and doing everything we could to get the suspect into custody safely," Trigg said. "Officers could not in good conscience allow the elderly couple back into the home without a thorough search. Due to some ongoing renovations in the home, there were areas behind the drywall and other atypical locations where an adult could be hiding that required investigation."

He encouraged the family to submit a claim through the city's risk management process and said it was not an attempt by police to avoid accountability for damage.

"The City understands that this incident has been traumatic for the homeowners, and we want to express our empathy for the disruption and damage they experienced. We are also grateful to see members of the community rallying to support the homeowners during a difficult time. That compassion reflects the strength of our residents and the values of our city."

Financial Impact

A GoFundMe page had raised $600 of a $2,200 goal as of Wednesday afternoon. Armstrong said her father, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was proud that he served his country and raised a family. They're on a fixed income and will need help making repairs to drywall and plumbing and removing pepper-spray residue.

Her mother uses oxygen and her father has health issues, too. They left their home with only the clothes they were wearing. Neighbors shared clothes, coats and hats.

The parents are staying with Armstrong. Armstrong and her sister and daughter have tried to clean but have been overwhelmed by the pepper spray. She said that everything, including bedding and clothing, is coated in residue.

Armstrong said that her parents were put in a patrol car and could not contact family members during the search. She said she was angry at her brother, but loves him, too. She has not talked to him since the episode.

She feared the worst when she got messages that police had surrounded her parents' house. She said she understood the police response but said police did not need to "rip their house apart so violently and not have a care for what they were doing."

How to File a Claim

The city said the homeowners may submit a claim here: File a Claim with the City | City of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For home-related damages, the City requests:

• A homeowner's insurance policy and declarations page
• Documentation of specific items or personal belongings damaged or destroyed
• In some cases, a copy of the deed or other proof of ownership

"Claims are reviewed weekly, and the full process typically takes 30 to 60 days. Each claim is evaluated independently, and all available information is used to determine whether the City is liable for damages."