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I've learned this over the years:

Simple mistakes have major consequences.

In my mind, making sure one is at the proper address -whether you are delivering a pizza, turning off utilities, or also responding to an emergency as an EMT, Firefighter or Police Officer - is a basic requirement to ensure that your job is properly completed. Granted, those last three examples are of dire importance as compared to a pizza delivery driver. Go out on a limb with me here for just second: I recently had a close call with a gas leak/carbon monoxide issue in my home. Had I called the emergency services and requested assistance and they showed up at my neighbors home due to an address error (take your pick as to why: computer glitch, misread the number, etc.) and wasted time finding out that they were at the wrong location while I was still in danger, would it be considered a huge issue? I certainly hope it would!

First and foremost, this is what sticks in my head. First responders need to make absolutely sure they have the proper location, regardless of what kind of call they are responding to. A simple mistake can cost lives. I'm kind of shocked that no one seems to see this as a issue in this particular instance. Yes, the Officer has the right to protect himself, and yes, the homeowner has rights for his property and himself - but isn't part of the underlying issue that he had the WRONG address? If he'd shown up at the proper location this incident would have likely not occurred. As some have mentioned this really is a Lose/lose situation. I certainly hope that the Officer (if HE was responsible for the mistake) or other responsible party learns a big lesson from this, or at the very least felt that major "Ooops" feeling down in his/their gut when all was said and done. Why do I say this? Without acknowledging that you've made a mistake, it's nigh impossible to correct the issue or set of issues that lead the mistake being made in the first place, and thus leaving the future much more likely open for further mistakes. Considering that emergency professions are quite important due to their nature, such mistakes should not be permissible.

I know, I know, we don't have all the facts, etc. but, and I'm going out on a tangent here, I think all too often simple mistakes that shouldn't have occurred get simply swept away or under the rug for unjustified reasons. So folks, don't take this as a bash on the Officer, or the dispatcher, APD, or whomever might end up being responsible here. I'm simply communicating that I feel we should ensure that crucial mistakes are kept at a minimum especially in regard to Governmental, and Emergency Service entities. When they do happen (as the inevitably will), the need to be handled in the most constructive fashion to ensure that they do not happen again.

Definitely interested to see where this goes.

EDIT: It appears that the TV news story is saying that the Neighbors may have given the wrong address in the call to police - if this is the case, how could the officer have even known it was the wrong house without first getting further information from the homeowner? Still a lose/lose.