I just went through a experience that nobody should have to go through with our police department here in Salt Lake County. I try to be a honest, law obeying citizen but I"m not perfect. I"M on disability and have a mental disorder and bad back from a accident at my previous job and because of my injuries I"m on disability. This is what happened to me on 05/10/2009. I was having some personnel problems and decided to go out and have a couple of beers. Well you know how that goes, probably a couple to many, but had a couple of glasses of water and sat it out for an hour before going home and felt OK to drive. I had to be careful because alcohol and medication don't mix. I take medication for my depression and bad back. I have to wait at least 6 hrs before I can drive from taking my pain medication so I take Ibuprofen when I"m doing some kind of work with machinery. Anyway I was on my way home and took a longer way home for the drive. I just had my truck inspected but the left rear brake light was always on and thought I fixed the light problem after replacing the marker and brake light bulbs. Apparently all my lights go crazy as soon as I turn on my head lights and wasn't aware of this. I was going west on 3300 S. and started to take my Ibuprofen and was feeling for my water bottle and a police officer put on his lights for me to pull over. I set the Ibuprofen on my lap as I pulled over and stopped and opened my side window and asked the officer what the problem was. He told me that my brake light was staying on all the time and asked for my lic, insurance, ect. When he walked back to his patrol car I took the ibuprofen and waited for the officer. He asked me to get out of my truck and asked me if I"M under the influence. I told him I had stopped at my favorite club and had some drinks with my friends socially until it was time for me to go home and was about to take my pain medication for my back, and explained to him how and why I take medication and that I am on disability. He asked me to perform some maneuver and after doing the tests asked me if I would do a breath test. Well I really didn't know if I would pass the breath test and decided not to take the test and knew I would lose my lic. and pay a fine. I knew if I took the test and failed I would get a DUI on my record so I decided not to take the test and probably end up with reckless driving. They searched my truck without a search warrant and towed it away. The officer took me to a police location and wanted me to give them a blood sample. I knew they just couldn't force me into giving them a blood sample without a court order. I told the officers in the room that I would like to talk to my lawyer and all the arresting officer would tell me, if I don't give them a sample, I could make it easy on myself or do it the hard way. The only thing I wanted was my rights to be exercised and the arresting officer didn't even give me my Amanda rights when I was arrested. Finally three or four officers grabbed me but I didn't fight back but just tried to make it difficult for them to draw blood and forced them to make a bruise on my arm for some kind of indication that it was forced, along with wipe lash and bruises when they forced me to give blood without a court order from the judge and they didn't show me any kind of document. After taking blood from me they handcuffed me with my hands up towards my head in a very uncomfortable position and took me to the intake portion of the Salt Lake County Jail. After about a day my pain medication started to wear off and asked if I could talk to a nurse or somebody because of my disability and what medications I needed. Nobody came and finally was in real pain and having withdrawals from my pain and depression medication. It seemed like a life time of torture because of the pain I was suffering because of my disabilities before they talked to me and crying for help because of my pain and withdraws from my medications. I know some bad people but I wouldn't wish that kind of pain to nobody even if they deserved it 10 time over. All they did is make fun of me and joked as if it was really funny to see me in that kind of pain. I was hurting so bad that they asked me if I was suicidal, and I told them if I don't get some kind of medication for my back I will hit my head against the wall to knock me out because the pain was that bad. I told them if that sounds suicidal then I"M suicidal and then they gave me Ibuprofen and sent me up to the suicidal cell to be watch on a camera, stripped down, with only a blanket if you want to call it a blanket. It was very chilly in that cell and could hardly keep warm, they had me in there for three days and two days without eating, but did give me the Ibuprofen, just enough pain medication to take the edge off the real pain. Finally after two days in that cell without any kind of food, I thought I would be out on bail, and kept on asking why I couldn't bail out and have some food. Nobody would answer my questions and finally after the second day they finally started feeding me and on the third day had a M.D talk to me. Later on that day the third or forth, I really didn't know how long I was in there, they gave me one dose of Prozac, Ibuprofen, and a anxiety medication, and after a few more hours in that hell hole they let me out on medical reasons without posting bail. Now if I"M missing something in regard's to my constitutional rights, and civil liberties, I believe my rights were violated buy the police. I called a cab and went directly to a hospital because my neck was hurting and had some abrasion's. After the doctor gave me a x-ray, and looked me over. The report he gave me was ACUTE CERVICAL SPRAIN (WHIPLASH); ABRASION/SKIN AVULSION;CONTUSIONS; and gave me anti-fl amatory medication; and Narcotic pain medication on the discharge instructions. I saw my doctors to follow up on my injuries because my left hand going towards my elbow was numb, apparently when they tried to take blood, the nurse damaged a nerve. THIS WAS NOT RIGHT AND THE POLICE WENT WAY BEYOND THEIR AUTHORITY TO MAKE A CASE AGAINST ME WITH NO EVIDENCE WHAT SO EVER, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY WERE TRYING TO GET A DRUG CASE AGAINST ME INSTEAD OF A ALCOHOL DUI, BECAUSE I ALREADY SAID NO TO THE BREATH TEST, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE TOOK ME TO JAIL AND LET ME POST BOND. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW IF I WOULD PASS THE BREATH TEST AND DECIDED TO EXCEPT MY DECISION AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. THE WAY THEY TREATED ME AND OTHERS I WITNESSED IN THE CELL IS UNEXCEPTIONABLE TO ANY CITIZEN IN UTAH. THEY WONDER WAY SOME CITIZENS DON'T TRUST THE POLICE HERE IN UTAH. I HAVE LIVED IN OTHER STATES AND HAVE NEVER BEEN TREATED IN THIS MANNER!!!
P.S. I WILL GET A LAWYER AND GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS AND THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR LETTING THIS HAPPEN. I WILL FIGHT THIS TO THE END!! I HOPE WITH ALL DO RESPECT THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND STRAITEN OUT YOUR DISTRICT'S UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR TO IT'S CITIZENS.