On the morning of January 21, 2005, Cheryl Noel was sleeping in her home in Dundalk, Maryland. Noel, 44, worked at a local water waste treatment facility and led a bible study group during her lunch breaks.

At 5:00 a.m., county police officers with a drug warrant detonated a "flash-bang" device intended to stun and temporarily deafen the home's residents and swept through the house.

Noel, woken by the noise of officers storming through her house, grabbed a handgun when she heard people approaching her bedroom door. One of the officers saw her in the doorway with a gun and fired three shots, killing her.

Noel's husband was later charged with possession of marijuana and of drug paraphernalia, as well as two counts of possession of black powder, a substance used in sport shooting. Noel's 19-year-old son and his friend were each charged with possession of marijuana and of drug paraphernalia.