A New Jersey resident is taking legal action against local authorities and a healthcare organization, alleging an unlawful seizure of her firearms and a violation of her constitutional rights. Andrea M. Roper filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on November 17, 2025, naming the Township of Lawrence, the Lawrence Police Department, and Capital Health System among others as defendants.
The lawsuit stems from events that began on November 27, 2023, when Roper visited the Lawrence Township Police Department to report harassment and stalking incidents. She was unexpectedly escorted to Capital Health System by officers who claimed she was experiencing a mental health crisis. Despite being evaluated and released without any findings of mental illness or risk to herself or others, this incident set off a chain of events leading to further confrontations with law enforcement.
On February 2, 2024, after calling 911 due to an assault by her father, Roper found herself once again at odds with law enforcement. Officers Kraszewski and Bobey responded to her call but took it upon themselves to contact Capital Health’s Mobile Crisis Unit for another evaluation. Roper alleges that these actions were coordinated efforts to portray her as delusional. Later that day, the officers returned to seize her firearms without a warrant or judicial authorization—a Glock Model 26 Gen 4 handgun along with its magazine and cartridges—under what they labeled as “Voluntarily Surrendered” despite no consent from Roper.
Roper accuses the defendants of violating several constitutional amendments including unlawful seizure under the Fourth Amendment and due process violations under the Fourteenth Amendment. She also claims an infringement on her Second Amendment rights as well as conspiracy and invasion of privacy among other charges. Her complaint outlines how these actions have caused severe emotional distress, reputational harm, financial loss, and ongoing injury over nineteen months.
Roper seeks various forms of relief from the court: declaratory judgment confirming constitutional violations by defendants; injunctive relief for immediate return or judicial hearing regarding her firearms; compensatory damages totaling at least $6 million against both Lawrence Township/LPD and Capital Health System; punitive damages against individual officers involved; attorney’s fees; plus any additional relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Andrea M. Roper is attorney Sauve M. Sonkey from The Law Office of S. Sonkey PLLC based in Dallas, Georgia. The case is presided over by judges within the District Court of New Jersey under Case ID: 3:25-cv-17645.
Source: 325cv17645_Roper_v_Township_of_Lawrence_Complaint_District_New_Jersey.pdf
