Jasmine Campbell has a serious bone to pick with NYC police regarding an issue of alleged sexual harassment. Attorney Lawrence LaBrew sent the city a letter on behalf of the Brooklyn woman, requesting a $2 million settlement after a police officer arrested her on false charges.
According to the NY Daily News, Campbell’s car was stopped by Officer Javier Munoz, who charged her with possession of marijuana and resisting arrest. However, in a Thursday interview, she alleged that there were no charges before she refused to show him her breasts.
“Do you have anything underneath your shirt?” Campbell, 25, recalled him asking. The officer reportedly asked her the question three times, to which she replied “no” each time. Munoz made uncomfortable intimations, staring directly at her chest and leaning into her. He asked, “Well, do you want to show me something?”
There were more officers present, too. Munoz asked Campbell to step out of her car and they all began laughing, she said. She spent a night in jail and was released without bail the following day. The incident caused Campbell to miss a midterm in her senior year at John Jay College.
The weed found by Munoz was in Campbell’s car but it belonged to a friend and Campbell hadn’t known, LaBrew’s letter says. She said that her friend accepted blame and ownership of the marijuana but she was processed anyway.
Campbell’s friend was released with a desk appearance ticket but she was booked on misdemeanor charges. While the charges were dismissed after some court appearances, Campbell said it was still a humiliating experience to undergo.
“It’s a constant thing going on in New York with the cops that they’re just using there badges to, I guess, sexually harass women,” Campbell said. Apparently, this incident was not her first run-in with police harassment.
The Daily News reports that Campbell initially took her case to Brooklyn Federal Court in 2016. They offered her $2,500 to settle the case on Thursday (Jan. 4), but that will reportedly not suffice.
In spite of having missed her midterm that year, Campbell will begin law school soon. She said that she wants to practice criminal law to aid in like situations.
The NYPD is not commenting, but Munoz’s status is reportedly the same.