Executive Summary
- Barbara Gaskins alleges a drug raid on her Greenville apartment was retaliation for reporting unsanitary living conditions.
- Pitt County Sheriff Paula Dance apologized, attributing the raid to an erroneous tip from a confidential informant; no drugs were found.
- An apartment manager allegedly livestreamed the police operation, fueling claims of a coordinated effort to discredit the tenant.
- Gaskins is preparing a lawsuit citing Fourth Amendment violations and defamation following the incident.
A tenant activist in Greenville, North Carolina, alleges that a futile drug raid conducted on her apartment was an act of retaliation for her public criticism of building management, prompting an apology from local law enforcement. Barbara Gaskins, a resident of Clubway Apartments, claims that the Oct. 28 raid by the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office occurred shortly after she reported severe sanitary issues, including sewage backups and mold, to city officials.
According to reports from NC Newsline, Gaskins was awakened by a team of eight to 12 sheriff’s deputies executing a search warrant based on a tip from a confidential informant. Deputies handcuffed Gaskins in the presence of her two sons, ages 10 and 14, while searching the premises. No narcotics were discovered during the operation, and no charges were filed against Gaskins. The tenant, a former congressional and mayoral candidate, described the event as traumatic for her family.
Pitt County Sheriff Paula Dance has publicly apologized for the incident, acknowledging that the raid was a mistake resulting from an erroneous tip provided by a usually reliable informant who misidentified the apartment unit. Sheriff Dance stated that the informant had no connection to the apartment complex’s management. However, she acknowledged that the timing of the raid, combined with the actions of apartment staff, could create the appearance of impropriety.
Gaskins contends that the raid was orchestrated by property management to silence her activism regarding living conditions at the 1960s-era complex. She provided a recording to NC Newsline showing an apartment manager livestreaming the raid on Facebook, allegedly commenting that they felt “vindicated” and wished to see Gaskins detained. Gaskins had previously documented falling ceiling tiles, mold exposure, and plumbing failures, taking her complaints to the Greenville City Council and code enforcement after water and sewer lines malfunctioned in early October.
Representatives for the management firm, Apartment Advantage Group LLC, declined to comment on the specific allegations or the tenant’s concerns. Gaskins has indicated she is preparing a lawsuit alleging violations of her Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure, as well as defamation claims, arguing the incident has damaged her reputation as a community activist.
Civil Liberties and Oversight Mechanism
This incident highlights critical concerns regarding the verification protocols for confidential informants and the potential for law enforcement mechanisms to be inadvertently weaponized in civil disputes. While the Sheriff’s Office has admitted to an operational error, the convergence of a housing dispute and a tactical police operation raises significant questions about the safeguards preventing the misuse of police resources. In cases where landlord-tenant relations deteriorate into hostile confrontations, the involvement of criminal investigative units without robust corroboration can lead to substantial liability and the erosion of public trust. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and in this instance, no evidence of criminal activity was found.
