Ring Doorbell Video Shows Greenville Officers Entering Apartment Without Warrant; Officer Placed On Leave

A Greenville, North Carolina, police officer has been placed on administrative leave after a Ring doorbell recording appeared to show officers entering Uniquea Teel's apartment without a warrant and detaining her despite her not being a suspect.

Officers visited Teel's apartment complex following a nearby shooting and asked residents for footage from their Ring cameras. According to the doorbell video, Teel told officers the camera was not working. The recording then captured an officer threatening to remove the device, obtain a search warrant, and "keep [her] up all night."

"I'm gonna rip that off the wall, get a warrant and keep you up all night," the officer is heard saying on the recording.

The footage shows officers entering Teel's home and detaining her. Police later described their actions as a response to what they called a lack of cooperation in the investigation. Officers also seized Teel's phone, held it to her face in an attempt to unlock it, and searched it for the requested footage.

Teel said the incident left her and her daughter traumatized and severely damaged her trust in law enforcement. The recording has drawn public attention and prompted the Greenville Police Department to place at least one officer on administrative leave while the department reviews the case.

Source: Reason Magazine reported on the doorbell footage and the resulting administrative leave.