Indictment for sexual assault is a little reminder that stupid is as stupid does
Texas trooper Jennie Bui has been fired and trooper Nathaniel Turner has been suspended because Bui conducted a full-cavity search of two women after Turner had stopped their car for speeding. No drugs were found during the search.
According to a lawsuit filed against officials of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Brazoria County Sheriff's Department, Brandy Hamilton, 27, and Alexandria Randle, 26, were on their way home from a 2012 Memorial Day outing when they were stopped for speeding by Turner. He called for Bui to back him up. A Brazoria County deputy sheriff also came to the scene. During the 40-minute traffic stop Bui conducted a full-cavity search of the two women. Hamilton could be heard on the audio of the dashboard camera telling Bui, “Do you know how violated I feel?”
Just before the search, according to the lawsuit, Turner told Hamilton that Bui was about to get up-close and personal with some womanly parts. “She is going to search you, I ain't, because I ain't about to get up-close and personal with your woman areas … she is going to put some gloves on.” Bui did not change gloves between searches.
Bui was fired June 29 for violating DPS policy. Turner was suspended June 10 pending the completion of an investigation by the DPS inspector general.
Bui’s firing and Turner’s suspension came on the heels of a similar case last year in Dallas for which Angel Dobbs, 38, and her niece Ashley, 24, agreed to a $185,000 settlement with DPS. The two women had been pulled over July 13 by trooper David Farrell and given a full-cavity search by trooper Kelly Helleson. Like Bui, she also used the same gloves on both women. Helleson was fired in February. Farrell was suspended with pay.
In March, a Dallas County Grand Jury indicted Kelly Helleson on two counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression. If convicted of the sexual assault charges, she will be required to register as a sex offender. Farrell was charged with theft because Angel Dobbs reported that a container of prescription drugs was stolen during the traffic stop.
Talk about stupid. Surely Farrell and Helleson must have known about the earlier case involving Turner and Bui. Because Helleson did not intend to commit any sexual assaults, those charges probably won’t hold up in court. Nevertheless, stupid is as stupid does.
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