Posted on 11/05/2013 5:28:49 AM PST by ican'tbelieveit
This 4 On Your Side investigation looks into the actions of police officers and doctors in Southern New Mexico. A review of medical records, police reports and a federal lawsuit show deputies with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, police officers with the City of Deming and medical professionals at the Gila Regional Medical Center made some questionable decisions.
The incident began January 2, 2013 after David Eckert finished shopping at the Wal-Mart in Deming. According to a federal lawsuit, Eckert didn’t make a complete stop at a stop sign coming out of the parking lot and was immediately stopped by law enforcement.
Eckert’s attorney, Shannon Kennedy, said in an interview with KOB that after law enforcement asked him to step out of the vehicle, he appeared to be clenching his buttocks. Law enforcement thought that was probable cause to suspect that Eckert was hiding narcotics in his anal cavity. While officers detained Eckert, they secured a search warrant from a judge that allowed for an anal cavity search.
The lawsuit claims that Deming Police tried taking Eckert to an emergency room in Deming, but a doctor there refused to perform the anal cavity search citing it was “unethical.”
But physicians at the Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City agreed to perform the procedure and a few hours later, Eckert was admitted.
What Happened
While there, Eckert was subjected to repeated and humiliating forced medical procedures. A review of Eckert’s medical records, which he released to KOB, and details in the lawsuit show the following happened:
1. Eckert’s abdominal area was x-rayed; no narcotics were found.
2. Doctors then performed an exam of Eckert’s anus with their fingers; no narcotics were found.
3. Doctors performed a second exam of Eckert’s anus with their fingers; no narcotics were found.
4. Doctors penetrated Eckert’s anus to insert an enema. Eckert was forced to defecate in front of doctors and police officers. Eckert watched as doctors searched his stool. No narcotics were found.
5. Doctors penetrated Eckert’s anus to insert an enema a second time. Eckert was forced to defecate in front of doctors and police officers. Eckert watched as doctors searched his stool. No narcotics were found.
6. Doctors penetrated Eckert’s anus to insert an enema a third time. Eckert was forced to defecate in front of doctors and police officers. Eckert watched as doctors searched his stool. No narcotics were found.
7. Doctors then x-rayed Eckert again; no narcotics were found.
8. Doctors prepared Eckert for surgery, sedated him, and then performed a colonoscopy where a scope with a camera was inserted into Eckert’s anus, rectum, colon, and large intestines. No narcotics were found.
Throughout this ordeal, Eckert protested and never gave doctors at the Gila Regional Medical Center consent to perform any of these medical procedures.
“If the officers in Hidalgo County and the City of Deming are seeking warrants for anal cavity searches based on how they’re standing and the warrant allows doctors at the Gila Hospital of Horrors to go in and do enemas and colonoscopies without consent, then anyone can be seized and that’s why the public needs to know about this,” Kennedy said.
Search Warrant Concerns
There are major concerns about the way the search warrant was carried out. Kennedy argues that the search warrant was overly broad and lacked probable cause. But beyond that, the warrant was only valid in Luna County, where Deming is located. The Gila Regional Medical Center is in Grant County. That means all of the medical procedures were performed illegally and the doctors who performed the procedures did so with no legal basis and no consent from the patient.
In addition, even if the search warrant was executed in the correct New Mexico county, the warrant expired at 10 p.m. Medical records show the prepping for the colonoscopy started at 1 a.m. the following day, three hours after the warrant expired.
“This is like something out of a science fiction film, anal probing by government officials and public employees,” Kennedy said.
No Comment
KOB reached out to the attorneys representing the defendants in the lawsuit and all declined to comment on the situation. The attorneys said it’s their personal policy not comment on pending litigation.
4 On Your Side Investigative Reporter Chris Ramirez cornered Deming Police Chief Brandon Gigante.
“As the police chief what reassurances could you give people when they come through your town that they won’t be violated or abused by your police officers?” Ramirez asked Chief Gigante.
“We follow the law in every aspect and we follow policies and protocols that we have in place,” Chief Gigante replied.
“Do you think those officers in this particular case did that?” Ramirez asked.
Gigante didn’t answer, instead he referred Ramirez to his attorney.
The Lawsuit
David Eckert is suing The City of Deming and Deming Police Officers Bobby Orosco, Robert Chavez and Officer Hernandez.
Eckert is also suing Hidalgo County Hidalgo County Deputies David Arredondo, Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Green.
Eckert is also suing Deputy District Attorney Daniel Dougherty and the Gila Regional Medical Center including Robert Wilcox, M.D and Okay Odocha, M.D.
There is something wrong in southern NM. In the last few years was the man left in jail for close to 2 years or something without charges, trial, medical care. Now this.
This is insane.
First and foremost, hold the “judge” accountable for issuing the search warrant on such flimsy probable cause.
Reminds me of my last IRS audit
I wonder if Eckert is working with real estate agents for some nice beach property in Malibu. And I think a Bugatti would be cool.
And he’ll be able to pay cash...
what an awful way to get rich for the rest of your life by winning multiple lawsuits
being probed by aliens - or waterboarded - would be gentler than this
he’s just lucky some cop didn’t drop some drugs into his crap
Good for the ER doc in refusing to do it.
That said, socialized medicine will require all remaining doctors to be agents of the state.
I do not know what this guy is complaining about, as he is probably the first one in the US to get ObamaCare.
This will soon be standard operating procedure!
/s
The cops thought he was clenching his buttocks when he got out of a car????
Is there anything more subjective a call than that? It means anyone can have this done at any time.
I’ve read there are now so many laws and regulations that every day every single American violates code a number of times. Anyone can be taken at any time. Nothing holds it back right now apparently other than the whim of those in authority.
Judges have become nothing but a rubber stamp for police. Time and again, stories of cops getting warrants on very flimsy evidence.
Why in the world would doctors agree to do this? We know cops are unethical. Now doctors too?
bump
I hope this case of “government up your a**” gets this guy a million-dollar home and a Ferarri to plop his sore butt down into. You may say “why should the taxpayers pay?”...but they elected these people. They should pay. And pay. And pay. And it should hurt.
Hope he cleans their clocks good and hard.
Wait til he gets the bill for the colonoscopy!!!
I would report there so called physicians to the stare and have their licenses. Exposing a patient to a potentially dangerous procedure without consent is beyond the pale
This is insane.
...well, the tactics remind me of the location, of the proximity to Mexico, where police tactics know of no boundaries...
I am still a bit shocked. Have I not woken up yet, still dreaming or something. I understand that the area is probably ravaged by drug traffickers. But, the doctors agreeing to this. I can’t imagine, the poor guy was probably out of his mind.
LOL I hadn’t thought of that. Of course the hospital will send him a bill.
In New America, the penalty for not coming to a full stop is severe.
I hope this guy wins a judgement against that police department that’s so large, they’ll be selling their office furniture, and that still wont be enough. I also hope he sues the hell out of that hospital, and goes after the doctors in court personally, one at a time.
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