lakeland cop pulled women's bra out during traffic stop (Tampa: 2013, attorney)

[Tampaite]

Link: Lakeland police officer's bra-shaking search under fire | Breaking Tampa Bay, Florida and national news and weather from Tampa Bay Online and The Tampa Tribune | TBO.com

Wow. what an idiot and real abuse of power.

The department placed Fetz on paid leave for four days. He returned to work Tuesday.

Is this enough punishment for this guy?

No drugs were found on the woman, but Fetz persisted in searching the car - even after Brugger withdrew her consent.

If this lady were your sister or your own mother, what will you do to this cop?

what's next? he is going to remove the panties to check ??

[The Villages Guy]

Your title is not correct. The Cop did not pull her bra out. He had her shake her bra, without exposing it...so he can find out if she was hiding drugs.

I think there is a case to be made for checking if someone has drugs hidden on them. A bra is a great place to hide them.

He did not touch or see her privates.

[jsun556]

He didn't pull her bra out, he made her shake it.

That being said, rights may have been abused as an unreasonable search without probable cause. She'll get some money.

[tinytrump]

stupid move but these days.. leos really have to watch their backs, too much about nothing. as for me no biggie- and I am female, better than being " searched"

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by PriusH8r

Your title is not correct. The Cop did not pull her bra out. He had her shake her bra, without exposing it...so he can find out if she was hiding drugs.

I think there is a case to be made for checking if someone has drugs hidden on them. A bra is a great place to hide them.

He did not touch or see her privates.

I agree with you. No harm, no foul.

Wonder what his training was concerning women needing to be patted down - do you call for a woman police officer?

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by BucFan

I agree. No harm, no foul.

I would think it would be reasonable to look at it this way.

IF there is reasonable suspicion that a woman being stopped could be carrying drugs, then the bra shake....without touching or exposing....is something that actually makes sense.

Now if it is another type of traffic stop and there is no reason to believe drugs are involved, then it would not be acceptable.

In the end though, I bet they go PC and bow to the pressure......which is sad.

[PhotoProIP]

Let me see if I got this straight: the woman had a head light broken and the guy was checking for drugs??? wow...do they not check IQs when the hire cops anymore?

[LKJ1988]

The cop never pulled on a bra bro.

[willow wind]

Read the article:

The officer admitted the department never trained him to this- thus, not department policy - he decided on his own to do so.

The state attorney office's says it was a violation of constitutional rights.

The woman was stopped for a broken headlight- thus no probable cause to search the car or the occupants.

His comment to the woman after he finished was " now, I'm finished scaring you".


This is just a bully with no sense of how the law works or who thinks he is able the law or both. And now the taxpayers get to pay when the lawsuit comes about. With the state admitting he was wrong, she'll win too.

[tinytrump]

wait wait wait- normal traffic stops
like broken lights, speeding - running red lights etc. often are the very reason why they catch murderers, thieves, child abductors, drug dealers ( just recently in Polk 2 mil $$ worth) and terrorists...(rem the college kids w the pipe bombs) something did NOT seem right to the cop,,, I'm on his side, maybe went too far, but not worth him loosing his job or paying out money.