A standard traffic stop over a broken headlight turned into sexual harassment in Florida when a Lakeland police officer asked 28-year-old Zoe Brugger to lift up her shirt, pull her bra away from her chest, and shake it. He then made her do it again, leaving the young woman in tears.
Dustin Fetz, the officer, said the reason why he made her do that was to check that she didn't have any drugs on her because she was very shaky and scared when she was pulled over.
The video from the officer's dash cam show Brugger being asked to lift up her shirt and shake her bra out twice. No drugs were found on Brugger or in her vehicle. The woman filed a complaint and Florida State's Attorney opened an investigation. The officer was placed on a four-day administrative leave.
State Attorney Jerry Hill criticized Officer Fetz in a 15-page letter sent to the Lakeland Police Department saying, "This highly questionable search method is not only demeaning, but is ineffective and possibly dangerous."
Hill went on to say that it was a dangerous tactic because if Brugger had been concealing a weapon, this would have given her a prime opportunity to grab it.
Meanwhile, Brugger says she hopes that all women learn from her incident. "Women need to know their rights when they're pulled over. The last thing you expect is to have to show off your body to a police officer," she said after being interviewed by CNN.
As for the officer, he's now back on duty after his four-day paid leave.
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