Denver Man Wrongly Held Because Of DNA Mistake To Sue
DENVER (AP) — A Denver man wrongly jailed for two months in a sexual assault case because of a DNA mistake plans to sue police.
Twenty-four-year-old Shawnnon Hale was released Wednesday. Police said his DNA was improperly identified by a lab technician as being tied to a sexual assault. A later test found his DNA was at the scene but wasn't tied to the assault.
Hale walked the four miles to his grandmother's home after being released from jail, where he had been held since Dec. 5, and television cameras captured their emotional reunion. Hale said he cried after being locked up, assuming his life was over and that he'd never have a chance to have a family.
The police department says it will conduct a "thorough audit" to determine what went wrong.
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