Elderly Grand Rapids Couple Demands Answers After Police Destroy Home in Search for Son

A Grand Rapids family is demanding accountability after they say police "tore up" their home during a search for their son who was accused of choking his girlfriend. The incident has left an elderly couple in their late 80s and early 70s unable to stay in their beloved Burton Heights home for the first time in over three decades.

What Happened

The Grand Rapids Police Department responded around 9:20 a.m. Sunday to a report of a domestic assault at a residence on Darwin Avenue near Stewart Street in Grand Rapids. Police say a man and woman were involved in a physical altercation in which the man was seen strangling the woman.

By the time officers arrived, the two had gone back inside the home. When officers attempted to get the couple to exit the basement, police say the man claimed to have a weapon and threatened officers. Authorities then began treating the situation as a hostage situation and obtained a search warrant for the home.

The suspect was not found after officers went through the home. The suspect is not in custody and the investigation is ongoing.

The Damage

Michelle Armstrong said her parents Carol and John Liptrop have lived on Darwin Avenue for 31 years but are currently unable to be inside their home due to the extensive damage. The couple has been displaced since Sunday.

"I never seen my dad cry until that day," Armstrong said. "That wasn't like that. None of this was like that."

Armstrong described finding her parents' home in complete disarray:

"I never seen my dad cry. So to see how hurt he was, being a veteran who served our country, to come home to find his house and everything he worked for look like that."

The damage included:

• Multiple holes in the plaster walls
• Belongings scattered across upstairs bedrooms
• Furniture overturned
• Pepper spray effects lingering throughout the basement
• Clothes thrown throughout the residence

Armstrong identified the suspect as her brother. The woman who was strangled reported neck pain and a raspy voice, police say.

The Family's Reaction

"My dad is 89, my mom is 73," Armstrong said. "My mother can barely walk, and for you to just snatch her and drag her down the stairs."

Armstrong said her parents are her best friends and seeing her mother in such distress was hurtful. She added that her father, a veteran who served our country, was devastated by what happened to his home.

"I get it that you're looking for somebody. I don't take away from that you have to do your job, but you didn't have to do it so violently. These are elderly people that live here," Armstrong said.

Armstrong said the effects of the pepper spray were still noticeable when she visited the property:

"I'm sneezing, I'm coughing. My nose is raw, my lungs are hurting. You can't stand there very long."

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with the cleanup and recovery efforts.

Police Response

Grand Rapids Police defended the department's actions in a written statement. Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg said officers were responding to a domestic violence case between a man and a woman outside the home Sunday.

"The male suspect, who lives in the home, claimed to have a firearm and threatened officers," Trigg said.

Trigg added:

"Our highest priority was saving the victim's life and doing everything we could to get the suspect into custody safely. Officers could not in good conscience allow the elderly couple back into the home without a thorough search."

According to Trigg, there were home renovations taking place at the residence:

"There were areas behind the drywall and other atypical locations where an adult could be hiding that required investigation. This is not an attempt to avoid accountability for the damage that occurred."

Trigg encourages the family to submit a claim through the city's Risk Management department, which can determine if the city is liable for the damage. He also said he asked the department's Victim Services Unit to reach out to the couple to assist with the claims process and connect them with available community and nonprofit resources.

Trigg stated:

"I think that there was a way to go in and look for somebody without destroying everything that a person works hard for."

Community Impact

Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack addressed the incident, saying it is not isolated:

"From over 15 families, I've heard, 'We don't live in squalor. If we let the news in, they're going to think this is how we were living, and this is how people think of our community.'"

The incident has raised questions about police accountability and the use of force in residential searches. The family has expressed frustration with the level of force used and the damage to their home.

What Happens Next

The investigation is ongoing. The suspect remains at large and is not in custody. The Liptrot family remains displaced and unable to return to their home until the damage can be assessed and repaired.

The city of Grand Rapids has encouraged the family to file a claim through the Risk Management process. Victim Services has been asked to reach out to the couple to assist with the claims process and connect them with available community and nonprofit resources.