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Lawsuit filed against San Antonio police officer who pulled out woman's tampon on public street
A lawsuit against the city of San Antonio, Texas, was filed claiming that back in 2016, San Antonio police officer Mara Wilson took a womans tampon out, on a public street, in order to internally search her vaginawhile standing on that same public street. According to KSAT12, an ABC affiliate, the lawsuit charges that Natalie Simms constitutional rights were violated.
According to the filing, Simms was approached by officers while sitting on a curb, talking on the phone and waiting for her boyfriend. The lawsuit claims Simms consented to a search of her car, which was parked across the street from where she was sitting, and that authorities found no illegal items.
Then, the lawsuit alleges, authorities called a female officer, Wilson, to the scene to search Simms.
The lawsuit details parts of the conversations between Simms and Wilson, recorded from Wilson's body camera. According to the court documents, Simms and Wilson went back and forth about the kind of clothes she was wearing before Wilson began searching her vaginal cavity.
This is sadly and disturbingly not the first or second or third time something like this has happened between law enforcement and women. Here is a transcript from Spectrum News of the interaction between Simms and officer Wilson.
Wilson: Stand up straight. Kind of lean back a little bit. (Inaudible) This is -- these are shorts? Oh, it's a skirt-short?
Simms: Yes.
Wilson: Oh, hell. Okay. Look straight ahead, okay. Spread your legs. I'm gonna ask you, do you have anything down here before I reach down here?
Simms: No. I don't have nothing in my --.
Wilson: Okay.
From there it goes exactly the way you think it goes, based on the headline of this article.
Wilson: Uh-huh. Are you wearing a tampon, too?
Simms: Yes.
Wilson: Okay. I just want to make sure that's what it is. Is that a tampon?
Simms: Come on. Yes.
Wilson: Huh? Is that a tampon?
Simms: It's full of blood, right? Why would you do that?
Wilson then dangled the bloody tampon and asked rhetorical questions in front of the other officers for half a minute. Back in August 2016, when this story broke, Texas Rep. Harold V. Dutton wondered how House Bill 324, signed into law in September 2015, did not apply here.
Art.A18.24. BODY CAVITY SEARCH DURING TRAFFIC STOP. (a) In this article, "body cavity search" means an inspection that is conducted of a person s anal or vaginal cavity in any manner. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, a peace officer may not conduct a body cavity search of a person during a traffic stop unless the officer first obtains a search warrant pursuant to this chapter authorizing the body cavity search.
SECTIONA2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
Good luck to this young woman in her lawsuit.
sarah FAILIN
(2,857 posts)This makes me want to explode. OMG.
Sanity Claws
(21,852 posts)Taking out a bloody tampon from a woman. Just unbelievable.
phylny
(8,386 posts)TNNurse
(6,929 posts)and maybe have to register as sex offenders,
Mariana
(14,860 posts)phylny
(8,386 posts)RandomAccess
(5,210 posts)How on earth can we get control of our local police forces again??
Ohiogal
(32,062 posts)mcar
(42,372 posts)They molested a woman on a city street?
I hope she wins millions.
Victor_c3
(3,557 posts)Im not at all disputing whether or not she should be awarded for her very real violation - I just hate being stuck with the bill in such cases.
In the end, I guess it should be the employer who gets stuck with the bill (in this case the government) as they allowed a culture which permitted this to happen, but I hate that it ultimately falls on the taxpayer in these cases.
Just to be clear, I believe she absolutely deserves a decent level of compensation for her wrongful treatment.
mcar
(42,372 posts)She shouldn't ever have to work another day in her life. Her children should be able to go to college,become lawyers and sue the police department all over again.
Oh, and police departments have insurance, I would think. If they dont ,they should.
LiberalFighter
(51,084 posts)Solly Mack
(90,785 posts)Ferrets are Cool
(21,110 posts)iluvtennis
(19,871 posts)dignity.
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)questionseverything
(9,659 posts)what is wrong with these cops?
the entire bunch should go to prison for sexual assault
BobTheSubgenius
(11,564 posts)I would like to see her end up with all of that cop's possessions, and at least 12 of her future earnings until the plaintiff hits 7 figures
.
Crunchy Frog
(26,630 posts)Hekate
(90,793 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)dalton99a
(81,570 posts)uponit7771
(90,364 posts)SCVDem
(5,103 posts)Ms. Simms is a woman of color.
That's the cop attitude that gets people shot!
raven mad
(4,940 posts)the SAPD and publicly fire this so-called "officer of the law".
Glimmer of Hope
(5,823 posts)Alwaysna
(574 posts)I have 2 girls ready to get their driver's licenses. How do I protect/advise them against those whose job is to defend and protect not humuliate and debase?
Alwaysna
(574 posts)This time during nice weather. We shouldn't have to struggle this hard just to maintain our dignity. This body cavity search without probable cause can happen to ANYONE! Whether that be a young male or female, your middle age mother or your grandpa.
A similar body cavity search lawsuit happened in Independence, Mo in 1978 to a 55 year old woman leaving her with lasting trauma and PTSD. Leaving her home without panic attacks afterward was part of the effects.
Can you imagine the impact on someone like the character "aunt Bea" or "Edith Bucker" or a teen whose never even had a dr do a pelvic exam?
Could this be sexual assault as one person has control of another and abuse of power to demean another?
Too disgusted to type more!
NickB79
(19,258 posts)Wanting to send this to some friends to read as well.
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I don't see how they can possibly get away with doing something so invasive and horrible. I hope she sues the shit out of them.