GALVESTON, Texas — High-profile attorney Tony Buzbee is representing a family whose home was raided by Galveston police earlier this month.
Buzbee posted to social media, saying a news conference would be held at his law firm on Wednesday at 11 a.m. In the post, Buzbee laid out what the family said happened that night.
The raid
Authorities said they were searching for a teenage homicide suspect when they showed up at a house on Avenue O in the early-morning hours of Jan. 22. They said they had search and arrest warrants and were there to take the teen into custody in connection with Malik Dunn's death.
According to police, investigators had "credible evidence" that the teenage suspect was at the house on Avenue O.
Erika Rios said she and her kids were home sleeping when they were woken up around 2 a.m. by Galveston SWAT members yelling outside. Rios said the officers yelled a couple of times for them to come out and then started shooting wooden pellets through the windows of the house. The officers told Rios and her children that they were searching for the teen who had been identified as the suspect in Dunn's death.
Rios said she and her son were handcuffed and her home sustained damage -- from broken windows to broken doors.
Police said the teen wasn't found at the home during the raid but was arrested a day later. After the teen's arrest, the Galveston Police Department said it "received new evidence and information to vacate the homicide charge." Galveston PD said it reached out to the district attorney's office to get the charge dismissed.
Dunn's homicide
On Jan. 20, Galveston police said officers responded to 39th Street near Broadway Avenue J after getting reports of shots fired.
When officers arrived, they found Dunn, 25, who had been shot multiple times. He was taken to an area hospital where he died, police said.
Chief on leave
Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell placed Balli on a 10-day administrative leave on Jan. 26, four days after the raid at Rios' house, for a "failure of communication regarding the January 22 search."
An internal investigation into Balli's conduct leading up to and during the search was also ordered by Assistant Police Chief Andre Mitchell, who was ordered to serve as acting chief during Balli's leave.