New Mexico man sues police over forced enemas, colonoscopy
Murder is no longer one of the top 15 causes of death in the United States for the first time in 45 years. Criminologists say homicide declines may simply be due to good police work.
A New Mexico man is suing the city of Deming and several police officers for allegedly forcing him to undergo an anal cavity search and other invasive procedures after a routine traffic stop.
Scrap metal tradesman David Eckert claims he was also forced to undergo three enemas and a colonoscopy after officers incorrectly assumed he was carrying drugs.
Eckert was pulled over by police in Deming on Jan. 2, 2013.
Because he appeared to be clenching his buttocks, officers believed Eckert was hiding drugs in his anal cavity, according to KOB-TV.
Police got a warrant to search Eckert's anal cavity for drugs, but officers had to take him to a hospital in Gila after a local ER doctor refused to perform the procedures, calling the search "unethical," the lawsuit stated.
An X-ray taken by staff at Gila Regional Medical Center was clear, but he was still forced to undergo three enemas and ultimately a colonoscopy at 1 a.m.
No drugs were ever found.
The lawsuit accuses local police of unreasonable search and seizure and the hospital and doctors of negligence.
Deming police and city officials have declined to comment to press on the case.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!