Posted by Staff
newsweb@everythinglubbock.com
CLOVIS, NM — A simple case of jaywalking has lead to a lawsuit against Curry County.
A Clovis woman is suing the board of county commissioners as well as two corrections officers at the jail for allegedly violating her constitutional rights.
It all started when Petra Youngquist, 25, was walking along Prince street last summer when she was approached by a police officer for allegedly jaywalking.
She was arrested, but not just for jaywalking. Youngquist allegedly assualted a peace officer and resisted arrest.
It was when Youngquist was booked into the Curry county jail that she says her rights were violated.
On body camera video of the incident, you can hear the officers giving orders to Youngquist.
Jail Guard: “Are you going to take off your pants?”
Petra Youngquist: “No”
Sound of TASER being used on Youngquist.
Petra Youngquist: Sound of screaming
Youngquist claims the officers illegally administered a cavity search while in their custody.
Her lawyer says they needed a search warrant for such an action and never should’ve used a TASER on his client.
“It’s the policy of the Curry County Detention Center that use of physical force is restricted to instances of justifiable self defense, protection of others, protection of property, prevention of escape and then only as a last resort,” said Youngquist’s attorney Eric Dixon.
Dixon says there’s a much bigger problem in Clovis and particularly the Curry County Jail.
He says at least one of the corrections officers had no TASER training and that both of them filed a false report claiming Youngquist tried to assault them.
Dixon says officials with the county know it but the two officers are still employed by the county.
The manager of the Curry County Board of Commissioners, Lance Pyle, is also named as a defendant in the suit. He says they have filed a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed and it’s currently pending.
Other than that he would not comment on the current litigation.
(Information from MyHighPlains.com)
