Facts

Oakland police officer Ingo Mayer stopped a Cadillac driven by plaintiff Spencer Troy Lucas, a parolee. Lucas had not committed any traffic violation prior to the stop. In front of a crowd of onlookers on a public street in broad daylight, Mayer handcuffed Lucas and then loosened his belt buckle, causing Lucas's pants to drop. Mayer then pulled down Lucas's underwear for several minutes and shook them against his genitals in an attempt to search for drugs. At Mayer's direction, another officer conducted a similar strip search on plaintiff Kirby Bradshaw, a passenger in Lucas's vehicle. Plaintiffs were compliant during the search and no drugs were found.

Plaintiffs sued Defendants, alleging emotional distress.

Result

Compensatory damages in the amount of $105,000 to Lucas and $100,000 to Bradshaw. Mayer was ordered to personally pay punitive damages of $25,000 to Lucas and $15,000 to Bradshaw. The City of Oakland agreed to indemnify Mayer.

Other Information

Post-trial, Oakland also agreed to pay Plaintiffs' fees and costs of $832,000.