Dallas, TX – An invasive cavity search caught on dashcam video has resulted in the criminal indictment of two Texas State Troopers.
In a controversial incident that made national headlines at year-end, female trooper Kelley Helleson aggressively searched the private parts of Angel Dobbs, 38, and her niece, Ashley Dobbs, 24, after a roadside stop. Trooper David Farrell originally pulled them over on State Highway 161 near Irving after he saw Angel apparently tossing a cigarette butt out the the window.
Farrell reportedly requested his colleague administer the full cavity search because the women were “acting weird.” Trooper Farrell questioned them about marijuana possession and administered a field sobriety test to Angel, who passed. After all this hassle, they were merely issued warnings for littering.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s office investigated the case and subsequently turned the matter over to a grand injury which returned an indictment against both troopers on Friday.
Trooper Helleson, who was initially suspended and then fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression. Trooper Farrell — who is on suspension — has been charged with theft in connection with an alleged missing bottle of prescription hydrocodone in the car.
The Dobbs also have a civil suit pending against the two troopers and the DPS chief. The incident occurred last July, but their lawsuit surfaced as 2012 drew to a close. Their attorney maintains that the “outlandish” search was “outside the bounds of what police officers are allowed to do.”
If these allegations are true, this kind of search would even make TSA agents blush.
To make matters worse, Trooper Helleson allegedly did not practice proper hygiene in conducting the invasive cavity searches: “The women also claimed that Helleson used the same latex glove to check both of their anuses and vaginas — all while other cars zipped past them on the public roadway.”
Trooper Helleson’s attorney has denied that his client in any way molested the two women, and, in fact, the trooper is trying to get her job back.