In a recent Illinois case, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against a municipality and a police officer who responded with other officers to a bank alarm, alleging, among other things, violations of the Fourth Amendment. When the on-duty officers arrived at the bank, the entrance doors were locked, so the officers called a bank employee to come to the bank. The bank employee arrived, unlocked the door, shut the bank alarm off and then began a search. The officers left the main area to continue the search. The bank shared walls with adjacent buildings that contained other businesses and offices. Ultimately the officers came upon the law office of the plaintiffs, attorneys who were in the office with their law clerk. The officers approached the room where the plaintiffs were sitting, pointed their service handguns at them, asked them for identification and told them that the bank alarm was going off and they were looking for bank robbers.
The plaintiffs then filed the complaint against the municipality and the police officer. The case was removed to federal court, at which time all of the counts were dismissed other than §1983 for violation of the Fourth Amendment.