Erica Reynolds, 37, filed a precursor to a lawsuit on Monday against the city of Phoenix and its police department, accusing them of false imprisonment, sexual assault, and wrongful arrest. And only after this humiliating display of state violence was Erica finally allowed to leave the police precinct. According to the claim, Reynolds was pulled over in December because she met with a man who police suspected was a drug dealer. Police, who had a drug sniffing dog, patted Reynolds down and searched her vehicle, but did not find anything, according to the claim. Reynolds was then taken to the police station where she claims she had her cavities violently searched by a female officer who did not change her gloves in between searches. They did a body cavity search and now I have bleeding. Medical records mentioned in the claim said that medical staff noted that Reynolds had been sexually assaulted and had rectal bleeding. According to AZCentral , court records do not indicate that Reynolds was charged in any crime following the encounter. The ordeal continued, she said, when she posted a tearful Facebook video on January 11 describing the encounter with police. A local advocacy group, Poder in Action, encouraged people to raise concerns at a February 6 city council meeting — but Reynolds was pulled over by police as she drove to the meeting.


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Don't have an account yet? Get the most out of your experience with a personalized all-access pass to everything local on events, music, restaurants, news and more. The settlement passed the council 7-to-2, with council members Sal DiCiccio and Jim Waring voting no. No drugs were found. The procedure did not comply with the Phoenix Police Department's policy on strip searches, which states that cavity searches can only be conducted with a warrant under approval from a superior officer. The policy also requires a medical professional to conduct any cavity search. Murphy's search of Reynolds also violated national best practices on cavity searches. Murphy was suspended by the Phoenix Police Department for 40 hours over the unwarranted search, a spokesperson confirmed. The settlement comes just before the six-month deadline for Reynolds to file a lawsuit against the city. The agreement is still pending City Council approval on Wednesday, a step that is largely a formality as Council members routinely vote in favor of settlements.
‘The Reality of Jail’
A police officer searching Natalie Simms for illegal drugs told her to spread her legs on the side of a San Antonio street. To Ms. Simms, 40, after she said in the suit that the city had violated her constitutional rights and that the officer had conducted a vaginal cavity examination in public with male officers nearby. She also sued the police officer who conducted the search, Mara Wilson. Simms, said in a phone interview. The two parties negotiated the amount in August, he added. She declined to comment further because the case has not yet been dismissed. In Texas, it is illegal to strip-search a person or their property without their consent or a warrant, and searches of body cavities must be conducted out of public view. On the night of Aug.
A body cavity search , also known simply as a cavity search , is either a visual search or a manual internal inspection of body cavities for prohibited materials contraband , such as illegal drugs, money, jewelry, or weapons. Body cavities used for concealment include nostrils , ears , mouth , navel , penis urethra and foreskin or vagina , and rectum. It is far more invasive than the standard strip search that is typically performed on individuals taken into custody, either upon police arrest or incarceration at a jail, prison , or psychiatric hospital. Often the procedure is repeated when the person leaves the institution.