When officers must physically force entry into a home, they are required to ensure that the home is in a secure condition when they leave. Failure to secure the home leaves the officers liable for loss of items from the home and/or damage to the home that results from leaving the property unsecured. It is legal to break down doors in order to gain entry, if that degree of force is determined by an officer to be necessary. If an officer forces entry, the officer is required to take measures to minimize damage to the property. Officer Stoler needs to gain entry into a suspect’s home.
