[kellyhound]

A Chicago-area woman arrested in May for drunk driving is now suing county police for what she says was an illegal, humiliating strip search by four officers that was all caught on video.

Dana Holmes was nearly three times over the legal blood alcohol limit when she was pulled over and taken to county jail, where surveillance footage shows her being pulled to the ground by a female officer and three male officers.

The 33-year-old was stripped completely of her clothes and left naked in a cell alone, where she cried on the floor for several minutes before police tossed her a 'padded suit.'

Holmes was transported to the county jail by local authorities who made no note of any combativeness. Footage of her DUI arrest released to the media shows her cooperating and the local authorities made no note of her resisting behavior.

However, Lasalle County police say local cops informed them she was 'being mouthy and causing problems'.

It is at the county jail where things take a turn. Holmes is shown being searched against a wall by a female officer as male officers watch.

At one point, one of her legs moves. Lasalle police say the footage, which has no audio, shows Holmes kicking them.

Holmes is then taken to the ground by officers and footage shows her being stripped of her clothes by four officers and tossed into a cell.

'I did not kick,' Holmes said. 'I don't know if I lost my balance or what happened, but I wasn't being combative at all.'

While it's unclear what led police to strip Holmes, laws regarding strip searches are clear.

'Nothing in the statute says resisting arrest is justification for a strip-search,' attorney Len Cavise of DePaul University College of Law told.

The lawyer representing the Coal City woman agrees.

'It's not only a violation of her civil rights. It's also a crime,' said Terry Ekl.

Under Illinois law, a suspect may only be stripped by an officer of their same sex and never in the presence of anyone not participating in the search.

Holmes was put in a cell while still nude, where she says she cried on the floor for two or more minutes before a male officer tossed her something to cover up with.

According to the police report, Holmes was told she would stay there 'until she sobers up and was willing to cooperate and not fight with deputies," according to the report.'

'I was terrified. I felt helpless. I was scared and I lay there crying,'Holmes told WLS. 'I just prayed.'

Holmes is suing the LaSalle County sheriff's department and the four deputies for violating her civil rights after her May 18 arrest and for inflicting emotional harm by stripping her without legal justification and says she hopes the officers involved lose their jobs.

'There's a lot of people that get DUIs, a lot of people that just make mistakes in life,' Holmes said.

'That still doesn't give them a reason to do what they did. My dignity is worth more than that, and other people's too.'

Update:

LASALLE COUNTY, Ill. A lawsuit that claimed Illinois authorities violated the rights of a female inmate by violently tossing her into a holding cell and stripping the woman naked has been settled.

LaSalle County will shell out $355,000 in legal fees and settlement costs to 33-year-old Dana Holmes, of Coal City, and four other victims.

Holmes was arrested for drunk driving in May 2013 and filed a lawsuit in Oct. alleging the incident violated her civil rights because she was stripped without legal justification and it caused her emotional harm - and the whole horrifying incident was caught on surveillance camera at the LaSalle County Jail.

[IC10021]

I bet she wins.

[Audioguru]

I hope she wins! She's a cutie. Too bad the cops were so hard up they had to resort to cheap thrills

[flyinbrian]

cops using there force again how many times will we see it be4 something is done. hope she wins

[Desensitisation]

So some drunk skank who should know better screws around with the cops, they get fed up and screw around with her. I'd call it even, dismiss the case, send her home and hope she starts using a tad more of her brain in the future.

[bladesman123]

Why edit it, I would have liked to see the images of nudity!

[Arevalosocom]

To protect and serve

[Audioguru]

was that all about I hope some heads roll on this one

[blancadon]

The cop car cam makes everyone look short and fat.

[Shakey]