The American Civil Liberties Union D.C. filed a lawsuit Jan. 30 against the U.S. Marshals Service alleging “abusive, degrading conduct” during the eviction of D.C. resident Donya Williams in June 2015, according to an ACLU press release.
Federal marshals entered Williams’s house with their weapons drawn and evicted Williams and her 12-year-old daughter before Williams had time to dress herself appropriately. Several thousand dollars’ worth of property went missing during the eviction, and two bags of Williams’ clothing were ruined with bleach.
“I have never seen my daughter as frightened as she was that day, and the terror is still with her,” Williams said. “When those marshals charged in, we all thought they could shoot us at any moment.”
ACLU-DC is suing the Marshals Service for violations of the Fourth Amendment and the Federal Tort Claims Act.
