Here’s something creepy to get you in the mood for Halloween.
A police officer in Bakersfield, Calif., accused of “manipulating a corpse in an inappropriate manner,” has recently found himself no longer employed with the police department. Bakersfield Police Dept. spokesperson Sgt. Joe Grubbs cryptically confirmed Tuesday that Officer Aaron Stringer is no longer an officer with the department, simply saying Stringer “no longer works here.”
The family of the dead man in question filed a lawsuit against Stringer after he allegedly touched the feet of Ramiro James Villegas, who had been fatally shot in a confrontation with police last November. According to the lawsuit, Stringer reportedly said “tickle, tickle” and pulled on the corpse's toes while remarking on how rigor mortis had not yet set in. The family, who is also alleging Villegas was unlawfully targeted and killed by police based on his race, claim Stringer's tampering may have prevented an accurate autopsy of the body.
The lawsuit also states that Stringer laughed and told a fellow officer that he “loves playing with dead bodies." Evidently, one trainee was so bothered by Stringer’s comments that she reported it to her superiors, a family attorney said.
According to the LA Times, Grubbs refused to comment further on Stringer’s employment, and human resources staff could not be reached to clarify whether Stringer resigned or was fired.