The story of a man's repeated anal probing by police and doctors in Deming, New Mexico after a minor traffic violation has shocked and outraged people across the world. Now, perhaps not surprisingly, another driver has come forward to say the same thing happened to him.
New Mexico TV station KOB first broke the news of David Eckert's lawsuit against local police, sheriff's deputies and the Gila Regional Medical Center after he says they probed him, x-rayed him, sedated him and subjected him to numerous medical procedures without his consent as officers searched for drugs they believed were in his rectum. They found no drugs and the medical center sent Eckert a bill for the "work" done.
Now, KOB has dug up a strikingly similar incident that happened to another driver, Timothy Young, after police say he turned without using his turn signal. As with Eckert's incident, a police drug-sniffing dog named Leo picked up the possible scent of narcotics.
And then the probing happens. Here's what they reported:
Police reports state deputies stopped Timothy Young because he turned without putting his blinker on.
Again, Leo the K-9 alerts on Young's seat.
Young is taken to the Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, and just like Eckert, he's subjected to medical procedures including x-rays of his stomach and an anal exam.
Again, police found nothing, and again the procedures were done without consent, and in a county not covered by the search warrant.
As for Leo, he's not even certified as a drug dog in New Mexico, and his out-of-state certification expired in 2011. The TV station reports that Leo "seems to get it wrong pretty often." Maybe it's time for him to find a new line of work.
Meanwhile, the doctors at the Gila Regional Medical Center have been turned over to the state licensing board, which means they could lose their medical licenses. The police may also face discipline over the probings.
The lesson from all this: if you're driving in Deming and value the integrity of your anus, make sure you follow the rules of the road.
Hat tip to Ilya and Tiny Toy Viper in Oppo!