maryland news
Strippers contest actions by police
By Julie Bykowicz
sun reporter
Originally published May 17, 2006
Three male strippers sent notice yesterday to the state of their intent to file a claim alleging violations of their civil rights - including allegations that they were forced to pose nude for police photographs.
Edward Cloyd, David Lawrence and Derrick Williams also said in the notice that Maryland Transportation Authority police officers who stopped them for speeding early one morning in March took about $10,000 in cash tips that they had earned from "admiring audience members."





The men will be seeking $5 million, according to the claim notice, which is required by law and puts the state on notice that a lawsuit is being planned. The claim was addressed to state Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp and written by the strippers' lawyer, Jimmy A. Bell of Upper Marlboro.

"They were humiliated, and they want to make sure no one else has to go through this," Bell said. "I don't think you can put a price tag on violations like these."

Cpl. Pamela Thorne, a transportation authority police spokeswoman, said yesterday that "anyone can make accusations" and that the department's internal affairs unit is investigating the men's claims.

After an exotic dancing engagement in Philadelphia, the men were returning March 4 to the Washington area in a 2004 Chevrolet Suburban. Just south of the Harbor Tunnel on Interstate 895, the woman driving the Suburban was pulled over for speeding by an MdTA police officer.

The officer, identified in the notice of claim as "Officer Leary," searched the men and arrested them after finding a small amount of marijuana on the roadside, Bell said.

The three men and the driver were taken to a police station, Bell said, where the men's money was confiscated by a person identified in the notice of claim as "Detective Kent."

What happened next, Bell said, was "humiliating."

According to the notice of claim: "Even more bizarrely, even though each client was charged with misdemeanor possession ... each of the three of them was required by Detective Kent to strip and pose for full body photographs while in custody."

Kent told them it was necessary to document any tattoos. Then he said, "I'm not gay, now strip," according to the notice of claim.

Thorne said she saw "no reason" that nude photographs would be taken.

Court records show that the misdemeanor drug possession charges against Cloyd, 29, of Washington; his brother, Lawrence, 30, of Severn; and Williams, 30, of College Park have all been dropped by Baltimore prosecutors.

that's crazy!

meltwithu said:

what are you for? I feel bad for them.

homophobic bullshit.

when you watch the interview the stripper is like, "and the cop goes 'i'm not gay'" as he was watching these guys take their clothes off.

he said the comment made it an unconfortable situation... implying that the cop was indeed gay or had gay tendencies and just was saying "i'm not gay" to assure himself that he wasn't into seeing the guys naked.
that was funny.
the cops did steal their money and that was definitely no laughing matter. i hope they sue the hell outta them.

alwayslate said:

i hear stories about cops doing this kind of thing to gay guys all the time in my neighborhood. harassing them, bringing them into the station and fucking with them all night, then charging the guys with some bullshit fine or community service. this is one of the reasons i rarely go out to the gay clubs in my neighborhood (that, plus the clubs suck).

AnckSuNamun said:

maybe the cop should have put on some booty music to make them feel more at ease! you know you just can't make a stripper strip down without no skrippin music

Anx said:

why is that....I didn't see anything homophobic about this.

alwayslate said:

Wonder where the photos ended up.

Anx said:

Say wha....? I never even heard of that...esp in the neighborhood you live in. The police station at Halsted and DAddison is pretty gay friendly, I thought.

superspaceboy said:

Wrong.

They're awfully friendly when the news photographers are in the nabe during the Pride parade, though.

Anx said:

things have changed...

superspaceboy said:

i think the meth epidemic has made things a lot uglier in the neighborhood...not to say it's the fault of the people who live here, but when you have tweakers running around the streets acting like mega-morons, i suppose the cops would respond in kind.