A vertical door latch assembly includes a housing and a bolt movably attached to the housing having a catch portion. A drive motor is located within the housing and is configured to selectively move a lock assembly between a locked position preventing movement of the bolt and an unlocked position allowing movement of the bolt. A controller is in electrical communication with the drive motor and is configured to direct the actuator lock assembly between the locked position and the unlocked position. A force sensor is in electrical communication with the controller configured to measured when a force exceeds a predetermined threshold.