2015/09/19
ILLINOIS — It is hard to believe that Illinois man Anthony Campbell may have forgiven the police officer who illegally strip searched him on a busy street three years ago.
Humiliated and embarrassed, Anthony never complained to the police.
However, Trooper Corey Alberson’s crime was discovered thanks to a routine review of the footage from a dashboard mounted camera in the vehicle that he was driving at the time.
What has been captured in the minute-long video is not for the faint-hearted.
Corey asks Anthony to remove his pants and then proceeds to examine his buttocks and testicles, he is even seen shining a torch light down his pants.
All the while another officer Chris Currier looks on.
In light of the video, the state issued proposed orders for aggravated battery, which is a felony, and aggravated assault – a lesser charge.
The officer was suspended without pay in June 2014.
A two-day bench trial was held earlier this month – three years and nine months after the incident.
Prosecutors claimed Corey was “a bully with a badge”.
In his defense, he claims he had received a tip-off that an African American man named Tom was “carrying a substantial amount of cocaine” in a white car.
Responding to this information, the police officer stopped the victim – also a black man driving a similar car – at a traffic light on North Ninth Street in East St. Louis.
Officer Chris carried out a pat down search and found nothing.
Following this Corey asked the victim to strip so he could search his genitals.
Anthony had to cooperate despite not wanting to do so.
Strip search is an extreme measure, which can be used only after arrest or when the suspect is believed to have drugs/weapons on them.
“I felt very insulted,” the victim said during testimony.
“I had never been treated like that by a police officer.”
The latter option was clearly ruled out when Officer Chris carried out the pat down search.
In Anthony’s case the strip search was illegal.
Circuit Judge Jan Fiss ruled the officer was guilty of the lesser charge of aggravated assault.
Although the felony charges were dropped, the victim Anthony says he feels the verdict was fair.
A humble stance some may argue.
Watch the video below:
