Utah woman “raped” by drug task force
By Christian Probasco, 12-07-08
Back in 2004, Haley Owen Hooper was pulled over by Sevier County deputies looking for the owner of the car she was driving. She says they searched the car without her permission. When she refused to perform a field sobriety test, they took her into custody.
“They arrested me for nothing,” said Hooper, “…I mean, they weren’t even looking for me.”
A female nurse at the Sevier County jail strip searched Hooper. When she refused to provide a urine sample, deputies obtained a warrant for bodily fluids. She offered to give blood but was told by one of the deputies, “in a black cowboy hat,” according to her, that the judge wanted urine. Next step: a male guard stripped her in front of several other male guards. She was held down and a catheter was forced into her.
Now Hooper is suing Sevier County, contending that her civil rights were violated. Her lawsuit says that she “was half-naked, bleeding, and had several male and female strangers watching and participating in the violation of her rights. She was physically and emotionally ill, to the point that she vomited. (Hooper) basically felt as though she had been raped…”
Hooper’s test turned out positive for meth. and THC but former 6th District Court Judge Kay L. McIff dismissed the charges, calling the catheterization “offensive and unreasonable.” He added:
“(I) consider the forceful use of the catheter to obtain bodily fluid to be a gross personal indignity.”
The lawsuit names Central Utah Narcotics Task Force chief Cordell Pearson and Sevier County Sheriff Phil Barney as defendants. It also names two other counties who sponsor the task force: Millard and Sanpete.
I live in Sanpete County. Our newspaper ran an article on Hooper but the information we have is basically the same as what the “big” media outlets have access to. I can say that there are a lot of people in Sanpete have been affected or know someone who has been affected by the meth. “epidemic.” The difference between me and my esteemed neighbors in this case is that it just takes one incident like this for me to completely lose faith in a law-enforcement institution. There have to be better ways to combat drug addiction than invading somebody’s privacy to this degree. Next, I suppose, they’ll be setting up roadblocks, busting pot smokers and smashing down doors. When that happens, the task force will have become the epidemic.
[End of article]In our zeal to rid the country of drugs we know no limits. We've lost compassion for addicts and turned them into second class citizens. The propaganda fed law enforcement encourages these dehumanizing techniques and the ends always justify the means...the sad thing is that most of the officers involved probably don't see anything wrong with what they did in relation to the constitutution, the idea of personal liberty, or just a basic level of decency. I feel sorry for the woman and her substance abuse issues, I'm disgusted by the war on drugs and the officers who have been brainwashed into believing they are helping society by carrying out the orders.
Comment By bearbait, 12-08-08Cops are no different than bankers: they have to be strictly regulated. If the woman was represented by a lawyer, and the cops got permission from a judge to place a catheter, to be done under medical practices, MD in attendance, with all the humanity and modesty society demands, maybe.
She is going to be able to buy a lot of meth with what she will get by suing the cops.
If you want to help stop this from happening in the future, go to http://www.wecandoitagain.com where Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) has made it very easy to tell your federal and state elected officials that prohibition is a failed policy. Regardless of your views on drugs, it is the only way out of this economic mess and the ever-growing Military Industrial Complex. This is a national campaign going on for two weeks, so please tell your friends. If you want more information about why cops want to end the drug war, please go to http://www.leap.cc
Comment By Suspect, 12-11-08Amazing story, but sadly, not hard to believe. I have been the victim of abuse by the Los Angeles County police once, and by the Palm Springs police on another occasion. I was very young at the time, had never been in trouble with the law and was not a meth user, then or now. In fact, I hadn't been breaking the law on either occasion.
Haley was a victim of sexual abuse and not only should sue, but should win. The officers in question, if found to have broken the law, should lose their jobs.