A Butler County couple is suing their police department after their home was wrongfully raided when hibiscus plants were mistaken for marijuana plants.
Audrey and Edward Cramer- who are both in their 60s- say it all started when a large tree fell on their Buffalo Township home. They submitted a claim to their insurance company and an agent came to their house to assess the damage. While there, the agent took pictures of hibiscus plants, thinking they were marijuana plants, and sent the pictures to police.
According to the lawsuit, three Buffalo Township police officers obtained a search warrant, handcuffed Audrey Cramer and pulled her outside in her underwear and bare feet. The couple says their home was then ransacked and they were forced to sit in a police car for four hours.
A lawsuit was filed Thursday. Our news partners at WPXI-TV reached out to the Buffalo Township police but have not yet heard back.
In addition to the police department, the Cramers are also suing their insurance company, Nationwide, and the insurance agent who came to their home.
