Man Given Multiple Enemas, then Sedated, for Clenching Buttocks During Police Stop

Man Given Multiple Enemas, then Sedated, for Clenching Buttocks During Police Stop

The war on drugs has led to a vicious cycle of human rights injustices, but few situations have proven as despicable as what happened to David Eckert of New Mexico earlier this year.

According to KOB TV-4, a local affiliate, the incident began on January 2nd, 2013, after Mr. Eckert left a Wal-Mart in Deming, and was pulled over by a police officer for not making a complete stop at a stop sign. Law enforcement believed him to be clenching his buttocks after they asked him to leave the vehicle, a sign that he was holding drugs in his anal cavity, according to the officers.

After detaining Eckert, officers received a search warrant from a judge that allowed for an anal cavity search. The officers then took Eckert to an emergency room in Deming, but were sent away by a doctor who refused to perform the cavity search, claiming it to be “unethical”.

Officers proceeded to contact physicians, eventually finding doctors at the Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City who were willing to perform the procedure

Here’s a report on the torture that came afterward, according to KOB TV-4:

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….

There are major concerns about the way the search warrant was carried out.  Kennedy [Eckert’s attorney] 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.  ….

Adding further questions to the legality of the search, the warrant had expired well before the procedures were carried out. In addition, the hospital is actually charging Eckert for the time that he was there, and for the procedures that were performed.

Eckert is suing The City of Deming and Deming Police Officers Bobby Orosco, Robert Chavez and Officer Hernandez. He is also suing Hidalgo County Hidalgo County Deputies David Arredondo, Robert Rodriguez and Patrick Green, as well as Deputy District Attorney Daniel Dougherty and the Gila Regional Medical Center including Robert Wilcox, M.D and Okay Odocha, M.D.

– TheJointBlog