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Subscribe to RSSA Florida sheriff’s department is denying a woman's claim that she was strip-searched in public and had her tampon “forcibly” removed by a female officer during a 2011 traffic stop with her children in the car.
Leila Tarantino filed a lawsuit on Aug. 3 in U.S. District Court in Florida's Ocala County against the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. She alleges she was not only frisked but that a female officer removed her tampon during a roadside search on July 17.
The lawsuit names Citrus County Sheriff Jeffrey J. Dawsey and six officers, referred to as “John Doe Officers 1-5” and “Jane Doe Officer,” as defendants.
View Tarantino’s federal lawsuit (Pdf.)
The sheriff's office denied claims.
“The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office wants to go on record as saying the allegations made in this lawsuit are not only ludicrous, but completely untrue,” it said in a statement released to NBC News on Monday. “No strip search was conducted, and the plaintiff’s tampon was never forcibly removed by any deputy.”
Tarantino alleges that she was pulled over by an officer in Beverly Hills, Fla., after she had stopped at a stop sign on South Columbus Street. She said her two children were passengers in the vehicle at the time of the alleged 4 p.m. incident.
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She accuses the officer of pulling her over, pointing a gun at her, yanking her out of her vehicle, handcuffing her behind her back, then throwing her in the back of his squad car, according to the lawsuit. Tarantino claims she asked why she had been pulled over and the officer didn’t respond.
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She claims she waited in the police cruiser for two hours and when other officers arrived, she was frisked and strip-searched at the side of a busy road, the lawsuit alleges. She said her children had been waiting in the woman's vehicle the entire time. The lawsuit's account:
“During her detention, PLAINTIFF was frisked and strip searched twice at the side of the busy road, in plain view of passers by. During one of the strip searches, PLAINTIFF had a tampon forcibly removed by JANE DOE OFFICER.
"At no point was a drug sniffing dog used to search for contraband,” the lawsuit stated, adding “None of the officers ever found any weapons, drugs, contraband or anything illegal during plaintiff’s detention.”
According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, Tarantino was issued a criminal citation for violation of restrictions on her driver’s license. She also was issued a written warning for rolling through a stop sign.
Tarantino's lawyer, Matthew W. Birk emailed to NBC News the following statement: "This case is currently in litigation and will be tried in a courtroom, not the press. The allegations made by Ms. Tarantino are set forth in the Complaint, which is a public record. Because of the sensitive nature of this matter, Ms. Tarantino will not be available for comment until after her lawsuit concludes.
"This case is currently in litigation and will be tried in a courtroom, not the press. The allegations made by Ms. Tarantino are set forth in the Complaint, which is a public record. Because of the sensitive nature of this matter, Ms. Tarantino will not be available for comment until after her lawsuit concludes."
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Leave a Comment:
I have family that unfortunately lives in this wack-a-doodle state, (& the other wack-a-doodle state of Tex-ASS) Doesn't look like my plans to "stay away" from these places will be changing anytime soon.
I am sure both wack-a-doodle (whatever that means) states are very pleased to hear that. So is my state. That leaves 47 more states to alienate-I am sure you can do it.
It's not just that state. What? You don't think cops act like this EVERYWHERE, and then LIE about it?
I believe her.
That's it Kevin. It's a conspiracy by the cops to strip this woman on the side of a busy street, wasting their time and her time for 2 hours, and pull out her tampon just because they feel like it, and then lie about it. (sarc)
Or this woman could just be making stuff up. She probably just ran a stop sign, got pulled over by a cop, gave said cop reasonable suspicion, and then the cop proceeded to search her car for contraband. She then goes on to exaggerate the story a year later.
@umbraobscura, WOW, are you REALLY that naive? Cops get caught lying ALL THE TIME, and in this case, their story does not seem to ring true.
Why would they have her on the side of the road for two hours after a traffic stop? Would they not search her if they were going to leave her there for an extended period of time? Probably, and if so, it seems highly possible that they could have crossed the line especially since cops think they know it all, and who is always guilty. The reality is that cops are morons, who were average students in highs school, who now are somehow permitted to carry guns. There would also probably be a record of having her there for an extended period backing her story, even if the cops lied.
Lastly, again, are you THAT naive? Cops will say ANYTHING to protect themselves and each other.
For the record, I have never been arrested, or even close to in trouble, but I have log stopped trusting cops after reading so often about their misdeeds for the last 50 years.
Kevin - yep, some cops have been known to lie, they are all human, some good and some not so much. But this woman's story does not ring true at all; takes 6 officers and a double strip search over rolling through a stop sign? I very much doubt that this was the highlight of that female officer's day. At the least, this woman was probably acting very agitated and threatening the officers to the point that they were afraid of her harming someone, possibly including herself. I will bank they had probable cause in whatever actually happened.
@brandyrenea, doesn't ring true? Just look at the piddly crap they charged her with. Those are CYA charges.
@Kevin
Just look at the piddly crap she's accusing them of. That is as far-fetched as ever.
Kevin - the piddly charges were all cited at the time of the event, not a year later like this woman is claiming now. That certainly casts a little suspicion on her case to have waited this long.
On a side note, if the street was really that busy, I'm guessing that some passers-by would have seen this and would come forward on her side when it does go to court.
I guess the other thing that makes me wonder about the truth in this ladies allegations is that they strip searched her twice? So they stripped her down and then put her clothes back on to strip her again? That seems odd to me...
2 hours spent and that's all the charges they can come up with? My mom got scammed and they didn't have time (they said it's a civil matter), and my Dad got threatened by his granddaughter's boyfriend (they said it's just heresay). Is that what keeps them so busy?
you are 8 times more likely to be killed while in police custody than by a terrorist.
That is not a surprising statistic BodyDouble, is there a chance you would make a little trip over to Afghanistan and head for the mountains to test that theory? I am not a big fan of police either when they pull me over for a traffic violation. Not that I wasn't in the wrong, I speed a lot more than I have ever been caught, but I would gladly pay to have the police (vast majority good people) out there than your statistic being watched over by a terrorist (sar). So would you rather not have any police?
Regular-Guy: The people fighting in Afghanistan are, for the most part, citizens of that country who feel they are fighting an invading force. I'm not putting any right or wrong on either side here, just saying that they are not terrorists. Terrorists do things to create terror. The people you referenced are soldiers in a war. Otherwise we wouldn't call it "the war in Afghanistan."
cwlfan, all in perspective, I will give you that. I was making light of BodyDouble's stats. Use a "terrorist" organization anywhere and see if you live longer under their watch as compared to the boys in blue here.
As for the people fighting in Afghanistan, I believe those that we are fighting have names like the Taliban or al Qaeda, pretty sure that they are listed as terrorist organizations. I work for the DOD, so you and I might see things a little bit differently. : )
No, suspicious cop haters (although I'm not a fan), this sounds like a ton of bullsh@# from a stupid woman who was caught driving on a restricted license, and being an inbred Floridian idiot, decides to make up the biggest bat-sh@t crazy story she can to get her fat ass on the news.
Police agencies call in traffic stops, times are kept, many are taped, criminals are not "kept on the side of the road" for two hours. None of this adds up. I agree with Travis. This is some chick making up a story to get a payout. She needs to buy a lottery ticket and not attempt to destroy peoples careers and lives. I was in law enforcement for 12 years and I know of NO officer, male or female who would forcibly remove a persons tampon or even want too. You comply with a cavity search but there are many ways to prove you are not hiding anything without the officer even touching you...and it is done at the detention center and not along the side of the road with her children present. (I like how she added that, thinking she would get sympathy because her kids were there and had to see this). My guess is that those poor kids have seen more than they have wanted to see living with this kook!
totherepublic, I find it facinating when someone finds a certain state distasteful becuase of the type of actions a lot of their citizens do, instead of wanting to make things change, they just keep showing why classy folks would be better off avoiding them. Believe me, the poster sounds much better not ever having to come into contact with your ilk. But you have to count Texas, Florida and the state I am stuck in, Alabama as being filled with mostly dregs, reprobates, addicts, racists and ignorant fools. Try to educate them, and they bite your hand off. Or at least they try to bite it off, but it's hard when you have no teeth.
I've noticed that a few idiots jumped all over the police department on this issue, claiming police abuse. This story is old. A video of the traffic stop was released. It was nothing like the lady claimed. She lied about the whole thing!
Where's the link to that alleged video John Smith? If it actually exist. I wonder who the real liar is
Wonder what they're going to use as evidence—do they have the smelly tampon??
This is the case where you hope it goes to trial. I have no problem with Police who are just doing their jobs, but cannot stand "bad" cops. With my father in law being a former cop, none of this rings true. If they had any belief that this woman had done anything illegal, they could easily just taken her to the closest station, had child protective services watch the children while they searched her and the car. The thing is, she can refuse to be searched, I think the word is called "No" and they would have no other choice but to call in a search warrent from an on duty judge, she could still refuse, they could detain her for 48 hours, without any hearing, but either way if the facts were true, why wait a year? I would have been so made to have my rights violated I would have been calling lawyers and the ACLU demanding justice. This is she told the story of being pulled, getting two tickets and in telling the story started adding time and and events to make herself seem like such a victim she either believed her own lies or she just couldn't go back on her lies with people pressuring her to file a lawsuit...that or she just made up a story with dollar signs in her eyes.
Leila Tarantino has a long track record of breaking the law. She’s been arrested multiple times for DUI, domestic battery, driving with a suspended licence, violating her probation. She is a habitual offender, which the cops would have immediately found out when they ran her name. She has no right to play the mother card because she’s clearly an awful mother in the first place. Put this drunk on blast for trying to screw the taxpayers of Citrus County.
If you look between the legs of a Cop, you will find an apple fritter.
JoeF in Vegas... are you aware that this service does not allow a lot of users to post links? I've tried to post links to verify my comments, and it won't let me for some reason.
Do your homework before jumping on somebody because they didn't post a link. Or Google it yourself.
Golly, Gee Whiz. Those COTTON PICK-IN COPS in Florida know how to pull strings.
LMAO
Floridiots.
I don't care who are, that's funny right there.
has anyone bothered to check if she really was detained for 2 hours? that seems a bit long for rolling through a stop sign. my guess is this ladies stories are probably legendary to her family and friends. and after a giant headache for every officer involved it will be determined that she is just another nut.
That was bloody awful, dan...
The sheriff told the female deputy to "pull the plug" on the investigation. Common mistake.
This is a bloody injustice!
Sounds like the time I kicked a cop in the knads while cuffed in a cell with 2 cops present(They actually claimed I did that!!!. I`m crazy not stupid!) and they didn`t beat the ever living crap out of me, kicking me in the head repeatedly till I was bleeding from the ear had a black eye and concussion because my passenger sparked a doobie leading to our non arrest. I even paid $800 for this beating that never happend.
Or it sounds like the time I pulled a "Knife" on a pair of uniformed Maricopa Co. Sheriff Deputies when they came to my jobsite. How I lived thru that I will never understand... (Please see sarcasm)
I was working and the two deputies came in and started to push me around, they called me and my family really foul names and when I did not lose my temper they started hitting me in the stomach and genitals. At no time did I even try to fight back.
I had no idea why I got ambushed, until later. The reason? I pissed off one of their girlfriends. And she told him. Then THEY came to see me.
When I reported it, I learned that I had pulled a knife and threatened the deputies, thats why they "Roughed me up". My question, Knowing how much they disliked me, why didn't they arrest me?
Maybe because their lies would have come out and they would have been seen breaking the law and lying about it???? Yeah, Cops lie ALL THE TIME!!!!!
They are Trained HOW to lie effectively! It helps them with something called: "Admission against interest".
exacktly , same old same ole .
and the @!$%#ed up part is there is usually no entity to tell , youve been beaten and robed by some one with a badge and a gun . when you do and they blw you off you know it's time to get the fukkk out of town before your dead in the creek and one of yo0ur friends is charged and convikted of murder. happens all the time girls get fukkked literaly and dudes go to jail . tell me again what was ww2 about .
Heck, yeah the police lie. I was driving to college in Boston to turn in a term paper before Christmas vacation. I was on a windy, narrow, snowy/slushy road going down a hill and a car came up close to my bumper behind me. It stayed riding dangerously close until we came to an area where he could have passed, but he didn't. He waited until I was turning left, so he tried to pass me on the right as I turned, which would have forced me into the oncoming lane. I stayed in my lane, which made him back off or he would have had to go over an island. Then I was mad, so I didn't let him pass me, but I stayed less than the speed limit of 20 mph. When I came to a red light he jumped out of his car, banged on my window and showed me his police badge. He was off-duty. So I opened the door and he pulled me out and threw me to the slushy street, face down, until a police car picked us up. He told the officer he was arresting me for assault on an officer (he said I caught him with an elbow), assault with a deadly weapon (my car) and driving to endanger. Ridiculous. He was the aggressor driving behind me on 1 lane roads! I guess it goes to show that you should not upset a crazy driver. You never know who they could be or what they are capable of.
Land of the free! Greatest country in the world!
We hace an Anchorage police officer that was finally convicted of raping women at the police substations. Went on for several years. He would pick up woman for DUI andd rape them while handcuffed.
This time I correctly guessed in advance that the accused officer was female. (Otherwise it would have probably read "male officer" in the title of the article.)
WTF are you talking about? It says six males and a female....So you only "guessed" if you didn't read it....Because if you did no guessing was needed..
“No strip search was conducted, and the plaintiff’s tampon was never forcibly removed by any deputy.”
But the story does not deny that the tampon was removed, just not forcibly.
I believe that the cops are attempting to sweep this under the rug where they found nothing.
And what about the two children in the car for two hours, could that not be child abuse on the cops behalf? So many children in distress when left in hot cars, but it is OK for the cops to leave the children in the car, traumatizing them by taking mommy away and not attending to them. How absurd!
And to think this whole incident was created because the cops so desperately need the extra revenue that is generated by the highly criminal activity of "ROLLING" through a stop sign. What a double standard, I've seen way too many cops go through stop signs on a three wheel turn, rolling through a stop sign. Even if true, so what!
S&W....
That's a pretty good trick to remove someones tampon without stripping them first. Your clever forensic deciphering of the comments is overshadowed by the fact that your conclusion is impossible!
I am pretty sure you can reach into someone's pants without pulling down and remove a tampon....Matter of fact I just tested my theory and it is now no longer a theory but scientific fact.....Why would you say it is not possible? Oh because you like to argue just for the sake of arguing...
sw, so you're saying you just reached in and pulled out your own tampon with your pants on? Good Christ, are you really that disgusting? lol What a dumbass.
They don't say what she was wearing, but with all this talk of "no tampon pulling while fully clothed", did anyone stop and think, maybe she was wearing a skirt???
@S&W 45 I suggest that you read the article again, where the comment is made that the police deny removing the tampon forcibly, this is coming from a woman, who was charged with "Tarantino was issued a criminal citation for violation of restrictions on her driver’s license. She also was issued a written warning for rolling through a stop sign." Sounds to me like a story she came up with, to have the charges charges against her dropped. Don't be so gullible, and make sure you read the entire story before spouting off.
Ken88
What's so disgusting about a little research? We have to touch tampons every time we change them? Grow up.
It took a year to press charges,sounds like senility to me.
I'm sorry, but if you are wearing jeans or fitted slacks, there is no way you could pull a tampon out fully clothed.
I think there is more to this story. Two hours of police stripping this lady would have attracted a lot of attention and what about dash cams. I do not believe her story.
I'd have to agree, driving past a half (or completely ) naked woman being TSA'ed on the side of the road would quickly draw a crowd. And where are the cell phone pics to support this, I'm sure if it did happen as she claims, someone would have snapped a pic and posted it somewhere...
I agree. This story should be very easy to prove or disprove. There have to be witnesses.
Not to mention, who would ever be willing to remove someone else's tampon? Eww! If it did happen, I hope the cop gets hazard pay!
However, if there was NO possibility of this being true, would that woman risk taking it to court? Dash cams work both ways. She has to know about them. Plus, what lawyer is going to take this case with no substantial evidence? SHE filed the complaint, so no lawyer has to take it. Honestly, cops need to stop letting their badge make them think they are above the law and any cop involved in this, should she win, should lose their job. Serve and PROTECT.
I agree--no woman is going to subject herself to that kind of humiliation without something to back it up. Especially a mother. The cops aren't denying the removal of the tampon, just the "forcible" removal. The story might be a little inflated, but I'll bet a lot of it is true, unfortunately.
ruciphe & Tracy
It happens almost DAILY! Its like saying no woman would admit to falsifying her statement to the world that Justin Beber raped her; until it was proven otherwise, this woman sounds very unstable.
tracy and ruc, for loads of money? of course she would. guessing she thought the dash cam pics would have been gone by now.
ya right , NOTHING TO SEE HERE MOVE ALLONG / you've not ever heard that huhh . while thier laughing at what thier doing . how many people would just averet thier attention and look down beeing thankfull that it's not them . dont make eye contackt or your @!$%#ed .
just read the comments on any article and you might come to the conclusion that some people are not sane. a lot of these crazy people also happen to interact with police and when they do hilarity happens. Having had the pleasure of arresting people in the past I can say without a doubt that you can get accused of all kinds of things you wouldn't even think of by people you arrest. first they get mad, then they try and be your friend and then they try and threaten you. its pretty much the same pattern and the only thing that changes is the degree of manipulation their warped minds will allow (not all of them are warped, I am referring only to the really fun ones here.)
@Onepoker
What a loser.
I am not sure whats worst a cop or a pedophile.
They're both raping the innocent.
Even if you did 1 good thing while arresting people. You are still a terrorist.
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion.
Talk about fingering his suspect! Unsanitary I hope he had gloves on at least.
It looks like the police pulled the plug on her driving with restrictions on her license.
There are two sides to this story. Period.
No there are 3 sides, his, hers and the truth.
If this did happen I trust people that witnessed this come forward..
If true no punishment is too harsh for these Officers...
Brings kind of a knew meaning to pull my finger (period)
The police state of "europonized america" is showing their tyrannical true colors. God will deal with the tyrannts and oppressors; the wicked one who do the work of the deceived and deceiver. God will deal with this; pray people, pray and ask God to send the savior, hint, it's not obama. The savior will save the people from the tyrannts and oppressors and deliver them from the hand of tyranny which goes about promulgating a false peace with which to torment and oppress. Yeshua will dash them into pieces, come quickly Lord Jesus Come quickly.
Now here you are dealing with a crime story, spewing religious hate, and once again trying to drum up attacks on the president. Sounds like the only solutions you're offering is to lay prone on the floor in a fetal position, hands clasp tightly while praying (wishing) for God (the magical man in the sky) to come save the world from all the wickedness.
I just don't think that's an effective use of your time...
Dude you can't be prone and in the fetal position at the same time....Look up the definition of the two if you don't believe me...
Hmm. If she is saying 6 officers were involved, there was more involved than not stopping at a stop sign, one cop would have been enough for that. Strip searched on the side of the road and no one put this on you tube? Sounds like she is a little off her rocker.
shouldn't take cops that long to take them to the station, if indeed that was needed. did the stop include cameras? Looks like the dispatcher would be concerned about a stop that took that long. Records are supposed to be kept of all stops when they begin and when they clear from the stop.
Honestly anyone who believes this lady is an idiot. Strip searched in public on the side of a busy road (during peak hours) was enough for me to stop, laugh, and realize that humanity is failing hard and fast.
For one, it doesn't take 6 cops to do a strip search. Two, they won't do a strip search in public... ever. You guys that are believing her, you do know there's a HUGE difference between searching a subject and strip searching a subject right.
A lot of people on here will believe anything anybody writes about alleged bad cops. The people that hate police officers have probably had run ins with the police and blame them for their own lack of judgement.
There's a reason its called PMS
Mad Cow Disease was already taken!
Hahaha, strip searched TWICE?!?! Just like "I'm Just A Bill Too" said, to get stripped searched twice they would have had to dress her after the first strip search and then take her clothes off again. I live in Florida (my mom in Ocala) and cops would never strip search you in the middle of a busy road. Not even a neighborhood street. Come on people, you believe this obvious "needs to cut down on her meds or whatever pills she is taking" woman? Not to mention taking A YEAR to bring this to an attorney's attention? If something like that happened it would be in the media next day by any SANE person. I don't agree with most cops actions but this is just absolutely RIDICULOUS of this woman "claiming" this (and I state again) a year AFTER the incident.
she is a liar. this just does not happen in law enforcement. i wish i was a member of the jury. all costs should be paid by the bottom feeding lawyer!!
Oh noooooo! Cops never lie about anything!
Strip searched twice? Must have had a nice rack. Forcibly removing a tampon? Well, that's just bloody wrong, period.
How do you extinguish a burning sanitary pad? Tampon it!
I seriously doubt anyone went near her tampon.
Either she's bat-chit crazy, or her "tampon" was a ballon full of heroin.
The dispatch records would clear up the "two hour" stop, and it is highly unlikely that it happened this way.
I've been harassed by those Beverly Hills pigs before, they're all criminals! They know they can get away with everything so they push it far beyond realistic. Everything this lady says is likely exact. In Inverness the same county pigs as Beverly Hills another pig stuck his finger in my friend's @SS on a routine traffic harassment. All of those pigs need to be delt with accordingly by the citizens they terrorize daily. They are a much bigger probolem than Al Quaida ever will be. I was pulled over in my driveway in Beverly Hills on a 20 degree night and the pig refused to let me put my son in the house who had anmonia and wouldn't allow the car running to produce heat while he mocked me and acted like a complete idiot and sat in his car for nearly an hour while 4 other pigs came from their sleeping areas to consult with him. I eventually went inside with the kids when they returned my license and they congregated in my driveway for another hour. Let the public deal with these scum. Homeland Terrorism at BEST!
I'm so sorry to hear your son had anmonia and your friend had a finger stuck in their @SS...
20 degrees in Florida? That doesn't happen too often does it? I hate when my kids get anmonia.
What is "anmonia"? Is that a new disease? Like one of those new flu strains that the government is always whipping the public into a frenzy about? What sort of medicine do they give you for that? Or, did the kid have ammonia? What was a kid doing with ammonia? 20 degrees in FL? Wow, we don't see that very often, even as far north as central AL.
Seriously, Ironman sounds as unstable as the woman in this story. Maybe Ironman needs to quit doing the things that cause the traffic stops, etc.
Your kid have ammonia? Are you on something? Seriously Ironman I agreed with you that all those Beverly Hill pigs are all criminals.....LMAO
Don't you mean pneumonia. If indeed he had "anmonia" or ammonia you are starting him on drugs early.
You're an illiterate moron, you probably got pulled over by the good humor man, how would you know the difference ? You don't even know the difference between Ammonia and Pneumonia, I personally think you forgot to take your meds that day, and imagined the whole thing in your twisted little mind, need to change your nick from Ironman0102 to Braindead.
To all of you haters ripping on this guy for his messed up English,
I know many adults in the inalnd area of Florida who are literally "hooked on phonics." When people grow up in areas where words are spoken incorrectly, they spell them incorrectly. Gotta love the South.
One way to conclusively know for sure who's telling the truth: Just look at the dashboard video that every cop car has. If the cops can't produce a video, then that's bull, and very suspicious, and you'd know they are definitely covering something up, since every stop is recorded. There's no reason why they wouldn't have a recording.
Not ALL cop cars have cameras, reelife11. How can you possibly make a statement like that?
reelife11-cwlfan is right. Not all cops cars have the camera. You've watched far too much tv. No police station in the United States is equipped and/or run like NCIS, CSI or any of the other glamorous police shows of our time. None! There is a huge difference between law enforcement and entertainment.
And most of the cop bashers have had run-in's with the law before. If I had a nickle for every prisoner that I booked out of jail that told us "you don't know who I am", "I will have all of your jobs", and "I'm going to sue you and the county for every penny you all have", than I could have retired at 30! Life is way different than tv or movies. WAY different!!
Geo, "Not all cops cars have the camera" this is true, but the story states 6 cops and one sheriff.... must be more than one car or maybe they all piled in one cop car??? This whole story smells fishy, I hope we get to find out the outcome.