Provo police officer fired after sex-abuse allegations

A Provo police officer is accused of groping a woman after saying he would arrest her if she did not show him her breasts.

Jeffery Westerman, 33, was fired from the police department after a woman claimed July 23 that Westerman sexually abused her during an accident investigation the night before, said Utah County sheriff’s Lt. Mike Brower.

The woman, 29, was driving near 300 South and University Avenue when her car collided with another, according to jail documents. Westerman arrived at the scene and sent the other motorist away. He then conducted field sobriety tests on the woman, who “wasn’t performing well,” witnesses said. Westerman tried to handcuff her, but he couldn’t because of a splint on her arm.

Instead, the woman said he searched her car and began “swearing and yelling at her,” jail documents state.

Westerman told the woman “he was going to arrest her for a felony, or he gave her the option of exposing her breasts to him,” according to jail documents.

“The victim stated that she didn’t want to go to jail, and she was afraid, so she lifted her top and exposed her breasts to him,” police wrote.

The woman said Westerman fondled her breasts and made “crude sexual comments,” police wrote.

After the woman replaced her top, Westerman told her “he was going to have to explain to his supervisor why he let a DUI drive home, ... and she needed to do it again,” jail documents state.

After Westerman fondled her again, he drove away, police wrote.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the scene that was consistent with the victim’s report, Brower said. Westerman later made false statements to investigators in the case, Brower said.

Provo police are reviewing the original traffic case against the woman and may hand over that investigation to the sheriff’s department, said Provo city spokeswoman Helen Anderson. The woman did perform field sobriety tests during the original investigation, but investigators have not determined whether Westerman had probable cause to arrest her, Utah County sheriff’s Lt. Spencer Cannon said. ...

via Provo police officer fired after sex-abuse allegations | The Salt Lake Tribune.

The woman should be able to sue the city. Being fondled by a man with a gun who is threatening to put you in jail? I'd say that qualifies as a traumatic event. She might be freaked out for life, not to mention having a total loss of trust in the police.  I suspect this kind of thing is very rare. I'm glad they caught this and stopped it. I hope they get him some mandatory therapy. He must have known he was being recorded (by the camera in his car, right?), which means he expected ... no review? A code of silence? A review of the entire force after something like this is a good idea.