Drug enforcement officers in upstate New York bashed through an elderly man's front door only to discover that they had the wrong address.
Auburn resident Fred Skinner, 76, says he was eating toast at the breakfast table earlier this month when authorities raided his home in the Finger Lakes region.
"They just broke in," Skinner told The Huffington Post as a handyman fixed his front door today. "They told me not to move so I didn't move."
After turning the residence upside down for approximately five minutes and attempting to handcuff Skinner with guns drawn, authorities realized they busted down the wrong door.
"They looked at my table where I had the mail piled up," Skinner explained. "They said 'whose mail is this?' I said 'it's mine.' They said 'We've got the wrong house.'"
When the misguided authorities realized the error, one officer attempted to calm Skinner and gave him the police department's phone number so they could smooth things over later.
Auburn Police Chief Gary Gionnotta said that he spoke with Skinner's son and offered multiple apologies for the intrusion. He added that the incident is one of only a few he has witnessed in 16 years on the job.
"We're just like everyone else, we're human, we make mistakes too," Giannotta told Huff Post. "When we make a mistake, we try to make it right as best we can."
Authorities reimbursed Skinner with $1,250 to pay for the broken door.