A Montgomery County woman who sued county officials over a home narcotics search that was filmed for reality TV can continue with part of the suit, a federal judge has ruled.

Perla Carr filed the suit in September 2013 against Montgomery County and seven individuals, claiming that a group of law enforcement officers and a reporter with a video camera broke into her house with a crowbar at 10:15 p.m. Sept. 22, 2011, waking her up. 

As Carr emerged from her bedroom, she saw officers pointing at least one gun with laser sights at her chest, according to the second amended complaint filed in February.

The group, which Carr said had no search warrant or arrest warrant, included Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth "Rowdy" Hayden, Chief Barry Welch of the constable's office, three constable's deputies and a reporter who worked for "several newspapers," the complaint stated.

Carr's suit also named Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon and First Assistant District Attorney Phil Grant as defendants. Although Ligon and Grant were not in the group that came to Carr's house, her suit claims they advised Hayden by telephone to force entry.

In March, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss Carr's complaint on the basis of federal rules of civil procedure. The 25-page motion had more to do with legal argument than with the alleged facts of the incident.

In a 28-page order issued Oct. 6, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller granted parts of the motion and denied others. 

Montgomery County's assistant county attorney, B.D. Griffin, said county officials were pleased with the outcome, noting that the judge dismissed the county (for the most part) and some of the individuals as defendants.

"We're certainly pleased at the reduction in the scope of the case," Griffin, chief of the office's litigation section, said Thursday. "We expect to continue to defend it. We believe we will prevail once all the facts are before the court."

Carr maintained in her complaint that, prior to the officers' arrival, no marijuana or anything else illegal was visible from outside the home she shared with her son, Zachary May. Nor was there a suspicion that anyone was in danger inside the house, she claimed.

"No one was in danger except Perla Carr when officers leveled several firearms at her," the complaint stated.

As Carr sat handcuffed in a lawn chair outside, the officers allowed the reporter to film the inside of her home.

After searching the residence and allegedly finding marijuana plants, the officers wrote a misleading affidavit to get a search warrant, which arrived about 12:30 a.m. the next morning, according to the complaint.

Carr was charged with felony marijuana possession, but the charge was dismissed for lack of evidence in May, 2012, records state. Her son, who was also charged, pleaded guilty.

At some point after the charge against her was dropped, Carr discovered a video on YouTube showing the officers breaking into her home with a crowbar. The video, used for the television show "Texas Takedown," was available on YouTube as late as February but on Thursday was not found on the website.

The execution of the search warrant was covered in a Sept. 23, 2011 report by the Montgomery County Police Reporter, which reported that authorities found "an elaborate hydroponic growing system nurturing 60 marijuana plants that weighed a total of 6.5 pounds."

Hayden told the paper that the arrests were part of his keeping a promise to clean up East Montgomery County.

"If you're a drug dealer in East County, it's not a matter of if you'll get caught," Hayden said. "It's when you'll get caught."