New Mexico Man Files Lawsuit After Being Anally Probed Following Traffic Stop

A nightmare.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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David Eckert has filed a lawsuit against the city of Deming, N.M., the Deming Police Department, and the Gila Regional Medical Center after he was allegedly anally probed eight times during a January traffic stop.

According to the suit, police pulled Eckert over, saying that he failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. After Eckert exited the car, police became suspicious that he was hiding drugs in his anal cavity, all because they thought he was "clenching his buttocks." 

After Eckert was arrested, a judge granted a search warrant that allowed doctors to perform an anal cavity search. Though a doctor refused to do this at an emergency room due to it being "unethical," he was taken to Gila Regional Medical Center.

Both lawsuit and medical records say he had three enemas inserted anally, his abdominal area was x-rayed twice and doctors stuck their fingers into his anus. They also forced him to defecate in front of them so they could search his stool and gave him a colonoscopy.

Eckert did not consent to any of this and no drugs were found. 

"This is like something out of a science fiction film," his attorney, Shannon Kennedy, told KOB-TV, adding that her client has been "terrified" for the past 10 months. 

Deming Police Chief Brandan Gigante insists that his officers adhere to ethical practices. "We follow the law in every aspect and follow procedures and protocols we have in place," he said.

[via CBS Las Vegas and KOB-TV]

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