By: Associated Press//July 11, 2013//
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Five men are suing the city of Milwaukee and police chief over strip searches that led to criminal charges against four officers.
Two plaintiffs said at a news conference Thursday that the searches, which they called humiliating, amounted to sexual assault.
The men say officers probed their rectal and genital areas without probable cause and said the officers claimed they were looking for drugs.
In Wisconsin, police officers are prohibited from doing any cavity searches. Such searches can be performed only by a doctor, physician’s assistant or registered nurse.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Jon Loevy says the fact that his clients are black and the officers are white “speaks for itself.”
A message left with the Milwaukee city attorney wasn’t immediately returned. A police spokesman said he hadn’t seen the lawsuit yet.