Woman In Police Strip Search Video Launches $1.2M Lawsuit

A 27-year-old Ottawa woman shown being kneed and having her top cut off in an Ottawa police cellblock video is suing police.

Stacy Bonds names the Ottawa Police Service, Chief Vern White and several officers as defendants in her suit, launched Friday in Toronto.

In her statement of claim, Bonds alleges some or all of the defendants infringed her Charter rights and led to her being negligently and maliciously prosecuted.

Bonds is seeking $1.2 million in damages and the destruction of all records concerning the 2008 incident that is the subject of her claim.

After seeing the cellblock video, Justice Richard Lajoie stayed charges of public intoxication and assault against Bonds and criticized police conduct.

Statements of claim contain allegations that have not been proven in court.

Lajoie said he was “appalled” that Bonds was strip searched in the presence of male officers, calling the incident an “indignity.”

The statement of claim says while Bonds was being “held securely” by two male officers, Special Const. Melanie Morris “brutally assaulted and battered” her.

“Morris administered two shattering blows to the plaintiff’s kidney area with her knee, with intent to cause excruciating pain,” the statement alleges.

After that, “Morris conducted a highly intrusive, unnecessary and unlawful search” and when Bonds objected, Morris “struck the plaintiff’s head with a closed fist,” the claim says.

Bonds says she was then pinned to the floor with a riot shield and her top and bra were cut off.

Bonds, who had soiled herself during the incident, says she was then “frog-marched” to a cell and confined, naked from the waist up, for more than three hours.

Bonds claims that “emotional and physical trauma,” suffered during the incident have left her unable to sleep and “fearful of police.”

Morris has been reassigned to desk duties pending an investigation.

The defendants have 20 days to respond with a statement of defence.