Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 7-27-18

National News
Cop Sued For Turning Pat-Down Into Prostate Exam
A Washington, D.C., res- ident has filed a lawsuit against a Metropolitan D.C. police officer alleging that the cop violated this citizen’s con- stitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure during an impromptu stop, frisk and rectal examina- tion.
According to court docu- ments, filed on behalf of M. B. Cottingham by the American Civil Liberties Union, Cot- tingham was celebrating his
birthday with friends on Sep- tember 17, 2017. The group was sitting in folding chairs on the sidewalk when two Metro DC police cars pulled up.
Although the men had just opened a bottle of alcohol, the police could not see it from the street, as it was behind a parked car. Instead, the offi- cers asked the men if they had guns, to which all of the men responded negatively.
Officer Sean Lojacono asked Cottingham what he
M. B. COTTINGHAM
had in his sock. Cottingham pulled out a baggie that con- tained less than an eighth of marijuana, described in the civil complaint as “a quantity that a person may legally pos- sess under District law.”
Cottingham then asked Lojocano if the cop needed him to do “the hokey pokey”—
M. B. Cottingham shown with officer during pat-down.
street slang for lifting up one’s shirt and slowly turning around—to prove that he was- n’t armed.
When Cottingham spread his legs, turned away from the officer and prepared to be searched, Officer Lojacono did not begin by patting down Mr. Cottingham’s torso or
legs.
Instead, the lawsuit alleges,
Officer Lojacono reached immediately between Cot- tingham’s legs, grabbed his scrotum, felt around with his hand, and stuck his thumb in Cottingham’s anus.
Several officers and all of Cottingham’s friends looked on as the search proceeded in public, between the curb and the sidewalk of Atlantic Street.
Cottingham was deeply uncomfortable with and hu- miliated by Officer Loja- cono’s probing, which continued for several seconds in the area between his but- tocks and on and around his scrotum.
After Cottingham ob- jected, the officer handcuffed the suspect, told the birthday boy to spread his legs and con- tinued.
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