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Man Arrested Hours After Complaining To Eyewitness News About Police

Monday, February 11, 2008 – updated: 6:14 pm EST February 11, 2008

A man called Eyewitness News with a complaint about police and ended up getting thrown in jail. The man wanted help after police responding to a false call, knocked down his front door and then refused to repair it.

Police got an anonymous 911 call that there was possibly someone in danger inside the home. They came to the address, realized it was locked up and they had to break open the door. It turned out there was no one inside. The owners were on their way to a funeral.

Michael Crawford called Eyewitness News to complain that police broke down his front door and then wouldn't pay for damages.

"They just came and tore my house up," said Alicia Crawford, Michael's wife.

But less than an hour after Eyewitness News interviewed him, cops came back to his house and took him to jail.

"They asked why Channel 9 News was here and, 'What did you tell them,' and, 'What did they ask you?'" Alicia said.

Crawford was arrested over $640 in outstanding court fees. Eyewitness News wondered why police picked Monday, right after the interview, to arrest him.

"I wasn't there. It doesn't matter. Anybody can talk to the news, but maybe before you talk to the news, if you have a writ, you should be conscientious," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, Orlando Police Department.

Crawford's criminal record isn't long. In 2006, he was busted on a marijuana charge, but Crawford said he's clean now.

"They know I don't sell drugs. They know I work everyday. Why are you all hassling me?" he said.

Police know Crawford's home well. Last year alone, they were called there 121 times. Crawford said he made many of those calls himself, complaining about drug dealers in his yard. He understands why police may need to break his door, but he's upset with officers for saying they won't fix it.

"He was nasty. He was real nasty. I said, 'What are you going to do about my door?' He says, 'I don't care about your door,'" Crawford said. "When I told him I came from attending my son's funeral, he told me, 'I don't give a damn.'"

Police said, depending upon the circumstances, they'll pay to repair damage, but how much they pay and if they pay is up to the city's risk management department. A judge issued a new order for Crawford's arrest last week, but when police talked to him about his door last week they did not arrest him.

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