A North Memphis father says a quiet Wednesday morning turned into chaos when about a dozen armed officers stormed his home, marched him and his four children into the front yard, and searched the place as part of a fugitive hunt. The family insists the man the police were after has never lived there, and they say they are now rattled and looking for answers.
An MPD spokesperson told Action News 5 that the department’s Fugitive Unit, working with the DEA, was at the Breedlove Street house trying to locate 27-year-old Samuel Shine. Shine reportedly has active arrest warrants for cocaine possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell. The outlet reports it requested a copy of Shine’s arrest warrant and that court records reviewed by the station show Shine served three years in prison after a 2018 assault. MPD, the station reports, directed it to the Shelby County Clerk and the district attorney’s office for the warrant.
Ring-camera video the family provided shows officers approaching the front of the house. Cser Dorse, a night-shift worker who said he has lived at the address for 12 years, told Action News 5, “Who y'all looking for?!” as officers escorted him and his children to the curb while they searched the property. Dorse and his wife, Porsha Holloway, said the presence of about a dozen armed officers felt like a terrorizing experience and urged the department to change how it carries out fugitive operations in neighborhoods where families live.
What police and the family disagree about
Police say the Breedlove Street address was linked to the fugitive they were trying to find. The family says there was no connection at all and that officers did not give the name they were looking for when they came to the door. That dispute, and whether the warrant actually justified entry at that specific location, will likely be resolved only if the warrant, affidavit or related court filings are produced for public review or a judge evaluates the underlying paperwork.
Legal options and what to know
Residents who believe police executed a warrant at the wrong address may have civil rights remedies under federal law, including 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which allows people to sue local officials for constitutional violations. Outcomes in these cases usually depend on the fine details, along with defenses such as qualified immunity, so families typically speak with an experienced civil rights attorney before deciding what to do. Local reporting named Kevin Snider as one attorney who could help review potential claims.
How to check a warrant or request records
People who want to confirm whether an arrest warrant has been filed in Shelby County, or understand how an address became linked to a suspect, can contact the Shelby County Clerk’s office or the sheriff’s records unit for help with public records requests and warrant searches. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office maintains information about records requests, fees, and the forms needed to obtain copies of police or court records.
