Florida Woman Claims Police Made Her Poop on Her Lawn During Meth Bust
A Florida woman is suing Volusia County and the city of New Smyrna Beach after police officers forced her to poop in her front yard and undress in front of them while they searched her house for meth.
Dawn Brooks says officer brought her outside in handcuffs, and then refused her requests to use the bathroom indoors. They "told her to 'just use the restroom right there' in the front yard, which plaintiff did," according to a district court judge's summary of the incident.
Brooks claims that instead of helping her clean herself up and get dressed again—remember, she was handcuffed at the time—the officers had her strip down and put on a plastic jumpsuit, laughing and yelling at her the whole time.
Court documents don't say whether police found the meth they were reportedly looking for.
Brooks's complaint alleges the officers violated her Fourth Amendment rights and that the city failed to adequately train the cops who searched her house. Judge Roy Dalton Jr. dismissed her initial claims, saying she failed to show that the need for training was "plainly obvious" and didn't specifically explain how her rights were violated.
Brooks has until April 4 to submit an amended complaint.
