CBS News – by Crimesider Staff
Two Texas women say police subjected them to an illegal and humiliating body cavity search, after they were pulled over for allegedly tossing cigarette butts out of the window of their vehicle while on a road trip to Oklahoma.
Angel Dobbs, 38, and her 24-year-old niece, Ashley, have filed a federal lawsuit against Texas State Troopers and the head of their department, CBS DFW reports
The lawsuit states that State Trooper David Farrell claimed he smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and called in a female trooper to do a cavity search to see if the women were hiding anything illegal. He allegedly made the call prior to establishing any probable cause or suspicion that the women were involved in illegal activity beyond littering.
While waiting for the female trooper, Kelley Helleson, the lawsuit alleges that Farrell searched the women’s vehicle without asking their consent.
The lawsuit claims Farrell told Helleson he called her in to do the cavity search because the women were acting strangely.
The women said Helleson proceeded to use her fingers to search their genital areas, using the same latex glove on both women, on the side of the road in full view of other passing vehicles, CBS DFW reports.
The incident was reportedly recorded on a dash-mounted camera in Farrell’s police car. In video acquired by the station, the female trooper can be seen feeling around Dobbs’ bra. Then, Dobbs says, Helleson opened the back of her jogging pants. “At this point, I’m in clear shock. I can’t even believe this is happening.”
Without changing her latex glove, Trooper Helleson began searching Ashley Dobbs, reports CBS DFW.
“I was molested, I was violated. I was humiliated,” the younger Dobbs reportedly said later of the incident.
Police found nothing on the women and performed a roadside sobriety test, which Angel Dobbs passed. The women were then given a warning for littering and sent on their way.
The women’s attorney, Scott Palmer, says the search was a violation. “We believe both troopers Farrell and Helleson displayed a reckless and callous disregard for these women’s constitutional rights and their safety.”
The Dobbs women reportedly say that when they filed a complaint with DPS supervisors, they were told if they filed an affidavit, DPS would turn around and file charges against them for lying.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement the Texas Rangers have “onducted an inquiry surrounding the events” and have turned the results over to the Dallas County DA’s office.
OMG! THAT IS SO ILLEGAL!!! AND THEY EVEN DID IT OPENLY ON CAMERA AS IF IT WERE NORMAL!! TOTALLY MOLESTING THESE WOMEN AND FEELING THEIR BREASTS AND UNDER AREA AND THEY SAY IT’S NOTHING AND THEIR LYING???!!!! ARE YOU F**KING KIDDING ME??? I’d have my wife beat the shit out of that woman if she did that to my wife and that’s after I smash the male cop’s face!
I’m telling you, Dallas police are in their own little delusional world. They don’t represent Texas. They are the outcasts of Texas. No one in Texas likes Dallas or the people who live there. Plain and simple. This is beyond sick. These cops ought to be thrown in jail, with their clothes taken off and have the prisoners treat them like a piece of meat like they treat us like a piece of meat and see how they like it. GRR!!!!! This pisses me off!
WOW!
Totally Agree.
(I was born in Dallas, but that was many moons ago. LOL)
This one was totally disgusting.
For once I’m speechless.
Do this to any member of my family…and you will be stalked and in the hospital or the grave. Period.
There are no other words to say about it.
~Blessed Be to all~
Wow then they say, well if you sue you will be in trouble for lying wa wa wa!! xxxg pxxy xxs cry babys. This is the kind of idiots they hire in every state now. To become a cop you have to be the top Hitler youth of your class. (same with TSA) I guess America did not learn from history and they even won WWII.
I hope these cops go to jail and get felt up too. But they wont, I bet they wont even loose there jobs. I bet they expect all cops to act this way now and laugh about it. I also bet the media thinks this is ok and normal too, even though it is sick and twisted.