FORT SMITH, Ark. — A local couple was surprised to find the FBI at their door this week after they were mistaken for suspects in a big-time drug raid in the River Valley. It turns out the couple lives in a house where one of the targets was previously staying.
It was a scary situation for the Bell family.
With their dog Rosko, they were asleep in their room when they heard people outside. The next thing they knew, they were being told to come out with their hands up.
"We're trying to think in our mind what could we have possibly done for the FBI to be here," Tyrus Bell Jr. told 5NEWS.
Tyrus says his wife Melissa answered the door and was instructed by the agents to turn around and walk outside slowly.
"They told her to hold her hands up above her head and come outside, and then they told her to get on her knees, so she complied with him," he said.
Officers met Tyrus at the front door and did not let him go outside, he says. Tyrus claims his wife was breaking down with fear. That's when he began recording the incident.
"Well, it's kind of a helpless feeling. What are you to do as a husband when you're being restrained and not able to control your wife," he said.
The encounter lasted about 25 minutes.
They told the agents that they had had been living in the home for about nine months.
The agents informed the Bells that they had made a mistake and left.
The FBI Little Rock office responded with the following statement when asked about the incident:
“Yesterday, the FBI assisted federal, state, and local law enforcement partners with a major drug trafficking takedown. We arrested 14 individuals who were believed to be part of a violent methamphetamine trafficking organization with direct ties to Mexico and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. One of those subjects, Shaun Easton, was previously known to be located at 920 Creston St. in Ft. Smith. We had a federal arrest warrant for him, but it was determined that information about his current location may have been out-of-date. As such, the FBI SWAT team who approached the 920 Creston residence did so in a safe and professional manner.
At the beginning of the 920 Creston St. operation, our FBI SWAT team deployed a perimeter around the residence. During the set-up of our perimeter, a male occupant looked out his window, saw the FBI agents, and was directed by one of the agents to go to the front door of the residence. Our SWAT team called the occupants out of the residence, and quickly determined that our subject was not at their location. After asking a few follow-up questions to the residents about the subject, our SWAT team departed.
At no point in time did the FBI SWAT team execute a “no-knock” warrant at that location. Our agents handled themselves professionally and made sure the situation remained safe for all involved. We certainly understand that encountering a full FBI SWAT team is an alarming and intense experience. As with all our operations, we will review this one to address any issues and ensure that improvements are made in the future.”
Tyrus says this situation could have ended worse, leaving him speechless.
"We're lucky to be alive."
He says his wife had a traumatic experience during the end of her nursing career, which added to the emotional reaction she had when the agents entered her home. Tyrus says this leaves him very upset, but he apologized for any foul language used toward the agents during the raid.
14 individuals were arrested in the River Valley following the drug raids Thursday (Sept. 10) morning.