LEESBURG, Fl. (WESH) – A Florida woman is suing the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Leesburg Police Department over what she calls inhumane treatment.
Ashleigh Davis was arrested at the Leesburg Bikefest in April 2011. She admits she was drunk, disorderly and probably deserved to be arrested, but she said it’s what happened after the arrest that prompted her to file a lawsuit.
Davis said her bikini top came off during the arrest and was left off for hours.
She was carted through the crowd, her hands and feet tied behind her back, while she was topless, Davis said. She said she was placed in a holding cell and left there shirtless.
Davis said a handful of male deputies and officers laughed at her and made no attempt to ever cover her up. The incident was caught on surveillance video from inside the holding cell, WESH-TV reported.
Davis said when one of the law enforcement officers put his hand over her mouth to quiet her from shouting, she bit the officer’s hand, and that’s when he threw her to the ground, shattering three of her front teeth.
Davis’ attorney, Stan Plappert, said his client was never a threat to the officers and said they should have never thrown her to the ground.
Plappert is hoping the lawsuit will encourage the LCSO and LPD to better train their officers on the street.
“I think they should have sensitivity training,” Plappert said. “You would think they would know that, ‘Hey, I have a topless woman or a nearly naked person, I need to do something to cover them up, to give them some dignity.’”
Attorneys for both departments refused to comment on the case. They have 30 days to respond to the lawsuit.
