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Irregular News for 10.26.06
Hammond, IN -- A woman videotaped during a police strip-search has sued the city, claiming the tape was distributed to others.
The woman is seeking the maximum amount of damages allowed against a municipality, $300,000, and cites the city of Hammond on 10 counts, including intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and violation of the Fourth Amendment.
The complaint was filed Tuesday at Lake Superior Court by the woman's attorney, Todd M. Conover. The woman's name is not included in the complaint.
The lawsuit states that on Oct. 31, 2004, police arrested the woman for shoplifting in Hammond and the she was subjected to an illegal strip search. She was held for more than 24 hours without any charges being filed, and was not able to communicate with her father, the lawsuit says.
It also alleges that the strip search was videotaped or electronically recorded and that the illegal recording was copied and distributed by police officers.
The police officers were cleared after an internal investigation, according to Hammond Police spokesman Michael Jorden. A subsequent FBI investigation into the taping of the strip search determined the taping was accidental, Jorden said.
Officers were unaware that the cell where the strip search was conducted was being videotaped, Jorden said, adding that the search itself was legal. Jorden insists that once the recording was discovered, supervisors were notified "to make sure it didn't happen again."
"It was a serious complaint, and we treated it as such," Jorden said.
Jorden denied that the tape of the strip search was distributed to others.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he was not aware of the allegations, but said lawsuits against the city are common.
"If it's got merit, we're going to settle, and if it doesn't have merit, we're going to fight it tooth and nail," he said.
source
Hammond, IN -- A woman videotaped during a police strip-search has sued the city, claiming the tape was distributed to others.
The woman is seeking the maximum amount of damages allowed against a municipality, $300,000, and cites the city of Hammond on 10 counts, including intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and violation of the Fourth Amendment.
The complaint was filed Tuesday at Lake Superior Court by the woman's attorney, Todd M. Conover. The woman's name is not included in the complaint.
The lawsuit states that on Oct. 31, 2004, police arrested the woman for shoplifting in Hammond and the she was subjected to an illegal strip search. She was held for more than 24 hours without any charges being filed, and was not able to communicate with her father, the lawsuit says.
It also alleges that the strip search was videotaped or electronically recorded and that the illegal recording was copied and distributed by police officers.
The police officers were cleared after an internal investigation, according to Hammond Police spokesman Michael Jorden. A subsequent FBI investigation into the taping of the strip search determined the taping was accidental, Jorden said.
Officers were unaware that the cell where the strip search was conducted was being videotaped, Jorden said, adding that the search itself was legal. Jorden insists that once the recording was discovered, supervisors were notified "to make sure it didn't happen again."
"It was a serious complaint, and we treated it as such," Jorden said.
Jorden denied that the tape of the strip search was distributed to others.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he was not aware of the allegations, but said lawsuits against the city are common.
"If it's got merit, we're going to settle, and if it doesn't have merit, we're going to fight it tooth and nail," he said.
source
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