Officer Repeatedly Sprayed Mace in Woman’s Vagina as Punishment: Lawsuit 17

NEW MEXICO — A New Mexico woman suffered for weeks with painful urination and swollen, burning genitals after an officer repeatedly sprayed mace in her vagina to “punish” her, according to an ACLU lawsuit.

“It’s tantamount to torture,” Peter Simonson, the Executive Director of ACLU of New Mexico said in an interview.

Marlene Tapia was apparently arrested for a drug-related issue.

She was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center, where two officers made her strip naked. They then forced her to bend over at the waist.

The officers claimed that Tapia had a “plastic baggie” in her vagina, but rather than sending her to medical staff to get it removed, one of the officers began spraying mace inside Tapia as punishment, according to the lawsuit.

“It’s just the maliciousness, the wanton disregard, wanton maliciousness that the corrections officer demonstrated,” said Simonson.

View the Court records: NM ABQ Sprayed Genitals