Imagine coming home to find your life’s investment reduced to rubble by the very folks sworn to protect it. That’s the gut punch 81-year-old Vicki Baker felt when her McKinney, Texas, property was trashed during a police manhunt. It’s taken five grueling years, but she’s finally scored a nearly $60,000 victory against the city.
Here’s the crux: Baker’s home was wrecked by police action in 2020 and after a long legal fight backed by the Institute for Justice, a federal judge ruled the city of McKinney owes her compensation plus interest under the Texas Constitution, Moneywise reported.
Let’s rewind to July 25, 2020, when Baker, a cancer survivor, was away in Montana. Her McKinney home became the stage for a nightmare as Wesley Little, a repairman she’d hired, broke in and took a teenager hostage. Baker’s daughter, who lived there, escaped and dialed 911 for help.
The situation escalated fast. McKinney police deployed a SWAT team, unleashing roughly 30 tear gas canisters, shattering windows, busting doors, and even using an armored vehicle to rip down a fence. By the end, they found Little had taken his own life inside.
The damage to Baker’s home? Over $50,000, a brutal hit especially since she’d just sunk $25,000 into prepping it for sale. Turns out, actions have consequences, even for law enforcement.
Insurance was no lifeline here. Baker’s policy covered only the mess Little caused, not the destruction from police tactics, since “government acts” are conveniently excluded. That left her high and dry, staring at a massive repair bill.
McKinney’s response was a cold shoulder, hiding behind sovereign immunity—a legal doctrine that shields cities from liability unless a judge says otherwise. They refused to pay a dime for the wreckage their officers caused. Talk about passing the buck to a senior citizen.
Baker wasn’t about to roll over. With the Institute for Justice in her corner, she sued in March 2021, arguing the government’s trashing of her property was an uncompensated taking under both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. This wasn’t just about her—it was about fairness for everyone.
The legal road was rocky, with losses at the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court declining to take her case. But in June 2025, U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant delivered a win, ruling under the Texas Constitution that Baker deserved just compensation. Finally, a glimmer of justice.
“I’ve just learned that my battle with the city of McKinney is coming to an end,” Baker said on June 5, 2025. Well, hallelujah for that, but five years is a long time to wait for what’s right.
“Judge Mazzant has ruled that I am due just compensation under the Texas Constitution,” she added. It’s a nod to property rights, something conservatives have long championed against overreaching government power.
“I felt like this was a case that would help not just me, but a lot of people,” Baker noted. She’s spot on—her fight could pave the way for others stuck footing the bill for government blunders.
Here’s a kicker: McKinney’s legal fees reportedly outstripped the $60,000 they owe Baker. In other words, it seems like taxpayer money was spent fighting a losing battle instead of making things right from the start. So, who’s really being protected here?
Even so, the city isn’t done yet, mumbling about “evaluating options for appealing” the ruling. Meanwhile, Baker, now living in Montana, can at least breathe a little easier knowing Texas law backed her up. As Jeffrey Redfern from the Institute for Justice put it, “She’s fortunate that Texas has strong protections for private property rights.”
This isn’t an isolated issue—WFAA reports similar Texas cases where homeowners battle cities over police-caused damage, often facing the same sovereign immunity dodge. The Institute for Justice cites a 1980 Texas Supreme Court precedent where a city was liable for a home burning due to police action. Baker’s win, alongside other cases in states like California and Indiana, might just chip away at this unfair shield, giving everyday folks a fighting chance against government overreach.
