A 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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in all due respect for both parties and knowing of everything that's happening in the world today it's extremely hard to say whom is lying and whom is telling the truth in a world like we are in today. I also must add that all Law Enforcement Officers isn't bad, I've met a few great ones in my days though at the same times the good ones are starting to fade right off into this new world. I have to agree with some of the people on other Sites that states that if this has happen then there would be many witnesses airing this thing, Shooting video with their Phones, Etc. But you also have to look at the very fact that 2 hours is a very long time for a simple Police Stop that didn't involve some type of search so I do believe during this time some form of search was conducted at some point during these two hours. Another thing many argue that if this had happen passers by would have seen it and reported or as I mention here videoed it, Never did anyone think that These Officers could have possibly used their Patrol Cars to shield her with while she was searched and I feel that this bit of information is the missing link in this case, If these Officers could have shielded her to either protect her or to avoid being video taped. After going over the "PDF" file that was made available on this case from the Courts point of view it leads me with great reasons to believe that this lady is telling what really happen but something else that comes in confusing that's working against her and something even the Court will look into is........ Why did it take her so long to come forth with this thing in the first place and this is just another key issue here. No doubt in my mind this lady was indeed search in some form because no Officer is going to have anyone what so ever pulled over this long without conducting a search and something else that don't set too well about this case is....... In the PDF file it speaks as if the Officers didn't even have a cause to stop this lady in the first place and on top of that it also states that the way this very Department operates, They don't even need a reason to do any of these things let alone a cause. The PDF file of this case mention many things that doesn't look too well for the Officers and I feel that looking at a video that they may have could only be a waste of time "If" a Camera was even mounted to the dash of any of the Patrol Units involved because not every Police Car have Camera on the dash in every Department or State. Here in the City I live for the longest time Police Cars here didn't have dashboard Cameras and when we did get one it was just that one but........... What good is the video from these Cameras when you are still dealing with unfaithful Officers within Law Enforcement again making it clear that not all of them are bad but the better ones are becoming rare every single day and with more and more not only talks but PROOF that Police done this and that, This case won't have you just jumping on these Officers side too quickly. Also in the PDF file of this case it states that "Officers" themselves stated that they didn't notice this lady acting odd in any way and was acting normal as anyone. So this is very weird here but I must add that it wouldn't surprise me if these Officers are guilty at this rate and all that's happening with Law Enforcement in the world today.
With a disciple of Ayn Rand emerging as the new leader of this nation (false Messiah) the training of Hitlerism is in full swing.
Only Hope and Pray can save us as the Sons of Mammon seizes their glory.
ps: It is so peaceful in the Cayman Islands. Tricky Tricked-Up Economics; Romnomics at its best-Reaganomics on steroids.
probably just some scumbag lawyer trying to drum up business,
some of these ppl on here are so clueless as to how cruel, mean, and LAWLESS, that law enforcement can be. its real nice to believe that police are always looking out for citizens and that they are all looking towards the best interest of the publics safety, but the sad truth is that the ppl that do believe that crap, are so so so very naive. yes while it is true that ppl who have had legal problems, 9outta 10, have a negative opinion about law enforcement, but the simple hard truth is that ALL police are NOT on the rightside of the law, break the law, manipulate situations, reports, people even intersection traffic, such as flicking their lights n sirens on to get through a red light, then cutting them off once theyre through. i dont know where some of these ppl are getting their facts from, but from my own experience and my own 2 eyes, i have seen and been through shady situations where an officer wrongly arrested someone or provoked an incident, i know of a few situations where some 1 was arrested n told if they could produce some sort of gun they would be released and not charged at all. Yes i have been arrested, but before that i felt the same way, my husband was continually harrassed by a police officer who after being a cop for however many years was eventually brought up on charges for breaking the very laws she was sworn to uphold, and that IS A FACT, her and a few others in her prescinct. I really could care less who believes me or doesnt, but all im trying to get across is that the badge they got isnt an automatic truth & honesty pin that makes police be what they are supposed to. i saw a comment that "law enforcement WOULD NEVER do a strip search out in the open" ummm yeah they would, and do! i know 1st hand bc it happened to my husband, in front of myself, our neighbors and anybody else that was outside on the summer night it happened, he was put into cuffs for asking what was the reason he was being pulled up, and after he was cuffed, the officer then bent over and pulled his basketball shorts down to his ankles, i saw this with my own eyes, the end result, he was uncuffed and let go, as there was not a thing to charge him with, also all our neighbors started to crowd around and saying the normal things like what did he do, why is he getting cuffed, etc. as for it "not taking 6 cops" to do whatever it was they did , thats true, it SHOULDNT take 6 cops, but where im from and the place i moved to anytime i see someone pulled over, it is NEVER, just 1 cop, i just saw 2days ago a car pulled over on the highway, and 4 cop cars behind it, i understand sometimes they may need back up, but its happened to myself, the last time i was pulled over for not stopping long enough at a stop sign, as he was i guess writing my warning slip, another cop pulled up, now thats an example that they all arent like that, bc he couldve given me a ticket for the stop sign AND for not having my liscense on me, but instead i got a warning. im very greatful for that, but the simple fact is that all police & law enforcement are legit, and any1 that cant recognize and admit that, IS NAIVE!! i agree about the story sounding crazy, and if it is true, why did she wait a year, but as some1 else stated, i wasnt there, so who the hell am i to say its not true, i dont put anything past anybody, so maybe its true, maybe its not, but im assuming that it will be proven or disproven, it'll come out in the wash. its only my opinion, like it or dont, idc
Sounds to me like she’s making up this fantastic story because she’s facing additional charges. Driving with a restricted license tells me she has been arrested for a DUI and has an occupational license. This could revoke her license and perhaps, cause her to face some time - probation violation...?
Sounds rather hystrionic, to me... I suspect she might have forgot her tin hat that day...
im sorry, i meant to say that all police & law enforcement are **NOT LEGIT** ....kinda made the whole thing i said sound dumb without the "NOT", lol
OK... ICK!
TSA screeners take note. New fun-filled procedures taking effect this holiday season.
"That's just naaasty!"
Citrus County Sheriff’s patrol cars have video camera the recordr is secured in the trunk and are not controlled by the officers so I'm sure one of the patrol car has proof.
The video was released. No such incident happened. The lady lied. So all these idiots that jumped all over the cops should now take their foot out of their mouth and admit they were wrong. But they won't. They'll say, oh I have a friend this happened to. Some people are just sheep and believe anything they hear.
First of all; GROSS! Second, I'm calling BS on this one; and to all you turds that are all up in arms and saying the cops have got to be lying are either retarded; or your a douchebag meth head that gets into trouble all the time; I would like to know this persons immigration statis.
Don't believe a word of her story, public street at about 4 pm or so, nah. Florida may be a wack-a-doo state, I live near Ft. Myers so I do know, but this is nonsense.
I read the PDF file. Frankly it's all possible. It's not like she said she was stripped and searched, put her clothes back on, and stripped and searched again. I think she was stripped...and then searched twice.
If there were 6 of them, clearly they could have gathered around her and passer-bys would have no idea what was going on.
Just a couple of my random thoughts...I think it's possible, but that doesn't mean it's true.
this sounds pretty absurd. Sure, not every officer is perfect but i would really doubt any officer wanting to remove a tampon. hopefully the dash cams cams can disprove her claim.
To strip search based on what? With drones coming to a neighborhood near you, everyone had better stand up for their rights or you WILL be living in a police state. Who controls the Police state? Corporations and their thug high school graduate cops.
After reading a lot of these comments, it surprises me that so many people dismiss this woman as either a lunatic or a person trying to "get paid." Having not been there and not knowing any of the ACTUAL facts, it is possible that she is bat-@!$%# crazy, but consider this: The Beverly Hills police mistakenly identify her (or her vehicle) to be connected to drugs. She gets pulled over and searched. They don't find anything...she gets belligerent and gets searched again. They don't find anything and she becomes more uncooperative. Next step, get a female officer to do a "personal" search. At some point, they start to figure out they made a mistake...and if she starts yelling something like "I'm gonna sue your a$$," then the police go in to damage control mode.
Giving her a written warning for her alleged infraction and an actual citation on a really weak technical charge speaks volumes. In other words, they were hard pressed to find a legit reason for detaining this woman as long as they did.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not some conspiracy nut or someone hating on the police. I just feel that this situation is far more plausible than some of you might think.
eeayew, arrggghhhh !
Apparently they already have several witnesses to the strip search that didn't happen.
Yes,when they cross the line, take them to court.Its that simple!
cops do things like this because we allow it. Fight back however that may be.
In court, if that works, or how ever justice is served, even if you do the same thing back to them when all their donut sucking buddies are not there to protect or witness.
?
I believer her. There are very crooked cops mixed in among the good ones.
Seems to me 5 cops = 5 dash board cams...Better subpeona them quick. 2 hours on the side of the road? I bet they even have GPS tracking in their cars and cell phones and possibly the lap top computers they like to use while driving through school zones which means they can pinpoint 5 officers within a few feet.
Left the children in her car the entire time? Gets pretty hot in Florida. Not very wise.
Two hours on the side of the road is going to attract a few onlookers given the PO-DUNK city they are in. I'm sure somebody saw something.
Abuse of authority?
Sounds to me lie she is trying her best to get out of a couple of traffic tickets for driving with restricted license and for running a stop sign. Why would an officer have thier hand that far up between her legs, and if so, maybe she thought it was a fuse for a bomb and needed to further investigate only to find it to be harmless.
Sorry to say this but as a lifelong Florida resident who has 35 years dealing with bad law enforcement officers, all I can say is a pig is a pig.
Only once have I ever encountered a law enforcement agency devoted to the community, all other's are proven gun happy fanatics unconcerned about anything below thier ego.
As a Florida youth I only regained my freedom by filing a civil lawsuit vs Racial Profiling still being practiced in South Florida today, I now know for the record that Law Enforcement injures, kills, and falsely imprisons more civillians than Communist China so go figure.
Cities need to legalize rolling stops at stop signs and right on red stop lights. Savings on energy would be enormous as well as speed up traffic. To often it is "He said She said" and the judge only believes the paid city worker.
As I have said time and time again, most cops ar criminal scumbags. The state is not relevant. May god help us and have them catch one in the head