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Cop Asks to Sniff, Lick Driver's Feet; Gets Arrested

By Daniel Taylor, Esq. on October 29, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A Texas school district police officer may be getting the boot after being accused of asking a woman to let him lick her feet in exchange for not taking her to jail.

A woman says she wasn't breaking any traffic laws when was pulled by Cy-Fair Independent School District officer Patrick Quinn in August, reports KTRK-TV. Quinn placed the woman the back of his patrol vehicle after saying he smelled marijuana in the car, which the woman denies. After searching her car, Quinn told the woman he had found drug paraphernalia, which the woman also denies is true.

But if that sounds bad, what the woman says Quinn did next is even worse.

An Indecent Proposal

Quinn reportedly told the woman that he had a foot fetish and would let her go if she allowed him to lick and smell the woman's feet, but would take her to jail if she refused. When the woman began removing her boots, she says Quinn gave her another option: to give him her underwear. She said that before she could comply, Quinn changed his mind and let her go free.

The woman reported Quinn to police, who arrested him after finding his fingerprints on the woman's insurance card. He was charged with two counts of official oppression. Under Texas law, a public servant commits official oppression any time they "intentionally subject another to mistreatment or to arrest, detention, search, seizure, dispossession, assessment, or lien that he knows is unlawful" or "intentionally subject another to sexual harassment." Quinn is currently free on bond.

Police Misconduct Lawsuit

In addition to the criminal charges faced by Quinn, the woman may be able to pursue a police misconduct lawsuit in civil court. Similar to Texas' oppression statute, the federal Civil Rights Act bars anyone acting under the authority of state law from depriving a person of his or her constitutional rights.

Under Section 1983 of the Act, victims can bring civil action against police officers or other law enforcement officials accused of wrongdoing, such as false arrest or police brutality. In this case, Quinn's actions may be found to have deprived the woman of her Fourth Amendment rights, making him liable for civil damages in addition to any criminal penalties.

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