This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A California woman is suing a former Provo police officer for groping her during a 2010 traffic stop.
The incident occured after a July 2010 traffic accident, when the officer, Jeffrey Westerman, said he was placing Leslie Bryson under arrest for driving under the influence. According to the lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court, Westerman took the woman to a nearby parking lot where he detained her for 50 minutes and forced her to expose her breasts in order to avoid jail.
The woman ultimately relented and Westerman groped her, the lawsuit states. As the woman was about to leave the parking lot, Westerman stopped her, according to the lawsuit, again forcing her to expose her breasts and again fondling her.
The experience caused her to "suffer extreme shock, severe emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, and instilled in her a significant and continuing fear of law enforcement officers," the lawsuit states.
The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, also names the Provo Police Department, its former chief, Craig Geslison and the city as defendants for allegedly failing to adequately supervise Westerman and lacking proper training and policies.
Westerman has already faced criminal charges relating to the incident. He pleaded guilty in 4th District Court to reduced charges of third-degree felony attempted forcible sexual abuse and class A misdemeanor obstructing justice. He was sentenced last year to six months in jail and 36 months probation.
"I was supposed to protect the public. But I used the public to satisfy my sexual desires, and I'm sorry," Westerman said at sentencing.