A New Jersey woman is suing two law enforcement agencies, claiming their officers left her naked and handcuffed outside when they raided her boyfriend’s home two years ago.
According to NJ.com, the Gloucester County woman filed a lawsuit against the Franklin Township Police Department and Vineland Police Department for misconduct and excessive force during an incident in September 2023.
The civil suit reportedly states that the plaintiff was sleeping in the nude when police raided the home at 6 a.m. one morning.
After she quickly covered up in a robe, officers handcuffed her, escorted her outside, and sat her down in the front yard. However, at some point during the detainment, her robe came undone, according to the suit.
Unable to clothe herself due to her cuffed hands, the plaintiff said she asked officers to help her cover up, but they ignored multiple requests she made.
The suit states that the woman sat exposed next to her boyfriend, as well as his elderly mother and adult daughter, for 45 minutes. During that time, she alleges that some of her neighbors even saw her naked.
“Eventually, one of the officers brought a blanket to drape over her, but that did not fully cover her body, and left her exposed,” the suit states.
No criminal charges were ever filed against the woman.
Her boyfriend was charged with theft after police raided and investigated his home.
The complaint also claims police seized the woman’s cellphone in the raid and claimed they had a search warrant, but never showed the family one when they arrived at the home. The plaintiff was allowed to retrieve her phone at a police station days after the raid, according to the suit.
The suit also names the city of Vineland and the Township of Franklin as defendants and seeks damages for excessive force, unreasonable search and seizure, and five other violations of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act.
“As a result of Defendants’ misconduct, Plaintiff suffered and continues to suffer from embarrassment, humiliation, and emotional distress,” the suit says.
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