The Associated Press
ONTARIO, Calif. (AP) - A group of Ontario police officers secretly videotaped while undressing in a police station’s locker room have filed a federal lawsuit against the city and a former police chief.
A hidden video camera placed in the police department’s locker room in 1996 to catch a flashlight thief recorded an estimated 125 officers and violated constitutional rights to privacy, according to lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, who represent the officers.
Videotape footage discovered in April 2003 was shot during three days by a camera focused on a wooden bench in front of several police lockers.
“I was left extremely embarrassed, and my privacy has been extremely violated,” said Ontario police Sgt. Steve Trujillo, who spoke for nine officers gathered at news conference announcing the lawsuit Thursday.
The suit contends that now-retired Police Chief Lloyd Scharff was aware of the hidden camera, installed under the orders of Ontario police Sgt. Brad Schneider, and seeks financial damages.
Neither Scharff nor a lawyer representing the city, John Brown, returned calls from the Los Angeles Times.
ACLU attorney Peter J. Eliasberg said no search warrant was issued to authorize the camera.
“To commit such a blatant violation of the law just to find someone who committed the suspected petty theft of a flashlight - this was going after a gnat with a howitzer,” Eliasberg said.
The officers said they decided to sue after the district attorney said no criminal charges could be filed because the statute of limitations had expired.
A city-ordered investigation conducted by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department determined that the officers’ rights had not been violated. None of the police officials allegedly involved was disciplined.
Ontario is about 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in San Bernardino County.