CBS DFW 11 News – by Jack Fink
CBS-11 has learned two state troopers involved in a controversial roadside cavity search of two North Texas women have been indicted on criminal charges by a Dallas County Grand Jury.
CBS-11 has learned that one of the troopers, Kelley Helleson, who left the courthouse after testifying Friday, is charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression.
She was seen on dashcam video searching the body cavities — front and back — of the two women along an exit ramp of the Bush Turnpike in Irving last summer.
The Texas Department of Public Safety fired Helleson.
CBS-11 has learned the other trooper in the case, David Farrell, is charged with theft after one of the women said her prescription bottle of the painkiller hydrocodone was missing after the search.
Farrell initially stopped the women after seeing them throw a cigarette out of their car window.
The Department of Public Safety says he remains suspended pending the outcome of its administrative investigation.
The troopers were searching for illegal drugs, but didn’t find any.
The women testified before the grand jury Friday, but declined comment.
Their attorney, Scott Palmer says he believes the troopers broke the law.
“There is no textbook that would mandate or authorize this type of search. We’ve said it before, and we will say it again, this is so outlandish and so outside the bounds of what police officers are allowed to do.”
The women filed a lawsuit against the troopers and the head of the Department of Public Safety.
Helleson’s attorney, Robert Baskett, says his client is not guilty and didn’t assault or fondle the women.
He says Helleson passed a polygraph test, and is in the process of appealing her firing.
The Department of Public Safety would not comment Friday on the indictments.
roadside body cavity search for throwing a cigarette out the window. Fire them is the least that should be done.
Appealing their firing? Why weren’t they arrested?
I guess collecting a few unemployment checks unit another police department hires them is the worst that happens to cops these days, regardless of their brutality, theft, sexual assaults, and murders.
They defend her (in this article) by saying she didn’t assault or fondle the women, so I guess they think it’s okay that this bull-dyke pig just wanted to pull the girls’ pants down for a while and have a good look.
I remember this incident and the video. Pure harassment by the police and no excuse for it. These cops deserve to go jail. A firing? Hell, they will just be re-hired again as a police officer somewhere else, like they always do. Firing them accomplishes nothing. Arresting them for molestation would be a good start.
I remember this incident and the police cam video of it. Pure harassment by the police and no excuse for it. These cops deserve to go jail. A firing? Hell, they will just be re-hired again as a police officer somewhere else, like they always do. Firing them accomplishes nothing. Arresting them for molestation would be a good start.
Actually NC, a fireing because of a felony sexual assault under force. That way that pig dike could never have another fire arm – or so they say.