Video of a controversial traffic stop that occurred on March 8, 2017 in Southhampton Township, New Jersey has gone public more than a year later after repeated requests for its release.
The 23-year-old driver intends to sue, claiming that his civil rights were violated and that he was sexually assaulted by a state trooper who conducted an invasive roadside search.
The trooper, identified as Joseph Drew, pulled over the unidentified driver because he was allegedly tailgating. What started as a traffic stop turned into a drug search.
Drew said that he smelled marijuana and cuffed the driver. When a search of the vehicle yielded no marijuana, the most controversial part of the stop began.
The officer can be heard saying, “You can tell me where it is right now or I can go in and get it.” Shortly after that, the trooper puts on latex gloves and begins conducting a cavity search.
Around the 15-minute mark of the video the man who was pulled over can be heard saying, “He’s raping me!”
“You better hope this is legal,” he also yells. “Did you find it? Did you find it? Yo, you guys are really ridiculous.”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, no drugs were found and the driver was only given a speeding ticket.
While the investigation is ongoing, however, Drew is still on patrol. Andrew Whitmore was the other trooper at the scene. He is also still on patrol.
Drew was the one who wrote the ticket but later requested that it be dismissed, according to the driver’s tort claim, NJ.com reported.
The video was first obtained by John Paff, the chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party’s (NJLP) Open Government Advocacy Project, and you can watch video of the incident in full above.
[screengrab via YouTube]
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