The mean streets of the drug war are full of uniformed scoundrels who are itching to shakedown the average citizen for drug possession. In the past, these underhanded stop-and-search tactics have ended in unjust police actions ranging from minor marijuana arrests to curbside beat downs. However, in Maryland, cops seem prepared to go the extra mile to rid the city of drug users — they are conducting public strip searches and sexually assaulting the locals.
This is the reason Baltimore resident Jermaine Lyons has filed a lawsuit against the city police department. He claims that in the summer of 2013, he was taking a leisurely stroll on his bike to the park when a police officer stopped him, without cause, in front of a retail shop on North Highland Avenue. It was there where the cop began to give Lyons the third degree, asking him if he was in possession of any illegal substances.
Although Lyons did what anyone faced with that situation should do — deny, deny, deny — that did not stop the officer from attempting to make a drug bust. The search took a turn for the offensive when the officer pulled Lyons’ pants down around his ankles and proceeded to conduct a cavity search on the sidewalk in front of a crowd of horrified onlookers.
“It’s as simple and outlandish as it appears,” said Isaac Klein, legal council handling Lyons’ lawsuit. He “was embarrassed and outraged.”
Interestingly, although Klein maintains the officer did not find any illegal drugs during his search of Lyons’ innards, a trumped up charge for narcotics possession was filed against him 10 days following the incident. Yet, court documents indicate that the prosecutor was forced to dismiss the charges against Lyons in August of 2013 due to police error.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the Baltimore City Circuit Court, states that Jermaine Lyons is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for a slew of violations of his civil rights. A secondary lawsuit against the officer for negligence is also expected to be filed in the future.
How much more will our government allow law enforcement to do before considering a sensible reform to the nation’s drug laws? Lay down your weapons and rubber gloves you fiends… it’s only marijuana!
