Ithaca SWAT Team Raids Collegetown House for Drugs

Some Collegetown residents on Friday evening witnessed an unusually dramatic scene unfold, as police stormed an apartment in search of drugs.
At approximately 7:30 p.m., the Ithaca SWAT team and Tompkins County Sheriff executed a narcotics-related search warrant at a house on the 200 block of Linden Avenue.
About 10 armed SWAT team members unloaded from a bus, crossed the street in a single file and dispersed around the house. Fully equipped with bullet proof vests and helmets, the team separated, with one member watching each exit.
With guns drawn, roughly five officers gathered at one entrance. After a brief pause, the door blew down with a bang. Several SWAT team members rushed in yelling, “Police!” while one officer guarded the door.
The search recovered an undisclosed amount of cash and scales, according to an Ithaca Police officer who asked to remain anonymous because he is not leading the investigation. No arrests relating to the incident have been made.
The officer said that the search and investigation were targeting heroin.
Witnessing the event, one college-aged bystander was heard saying, “I always knew that was a crack house.”
An officer quickly replied, “Not any more.”
The Ithaca Police Department said last night that no further details were available and the investigation is ongoing.