Welcome to New York

BROOKLYN (CN) - New York City police officers stuck their fingers into a man's rectum so hard while searching for heroin that his anus bled, the man claims in a $7 million lawsuit in Federal Court.

Jesse Campbell on Wednesday sued the City of New York and 10 John and Jane Doe police officers assigned to the 122nd Precinct.

Campbell says he was arrested in Staten Island in August 2011 for heroin possession, then thrown into a jail cell and stripped naked.

He says he told the officers that the drugs they were looking for could be found in his car, and that he didn't have any on him.

Nevertheless, they did a full cavity search, which caused his anus to bleed, he says. Police then refused to get him any medical attention, he claims.

Officers then shackled his feet and sprayed him with Mace to shut him up, according to his lawsuit.

Campbell says a female officer saw what was going on and told the officers, "You're not supposed to do this," but the other officers ignored her.

Campbell says police continued to hit him "all over his body."

"There was no need to sodomize or otherwise beat plaintiff who was not resisting and had not done anything to deserve the conscience-shocking beating bestowed upon him by defendants," according to the lawsuit.

Campbell seeks damages for civil rights violations, excessive force and unreasonable search.

He is represented by Vik Pawar.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit