Texas mom claims police cuffed her on pile of fire ants as pests bit her all over her face: lawsuit

Texas mom files lawsuit alleging police cuffed her on fire ant pile, enduring painful bites on face. Shocking incident sparks outrage

Texas Mom Alleges Police Handcuffed Her on Fire Ant Bed in Lawsuit

 

A Texas mother, Taylor Rogers, has filed a lawsuit claiming that police officers from the Santa Fe ISD Police Department handcuffed her and held her down on a pile of fire ants, resulting in multiple bites all over her face. The incident reportedly occurred during a traffic stop in 2021, as reported by KHOU 11.

 

According to civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen, who spoke at a news conference on Saturday, Rogers alleges that the officers twisted her leg, hog-tied her, and placed her face over a colony of fire ants after stopping her for a traffic violation without cause.

 

Dramatic police bodycam footage from the arrest shows an officer holding Rogers down on the grass as she cries out in pain, stating that ants are biting her face and pleading for help. Rogers claims that despite being handcuffed, she was unable to swat the insects away, and the officers did not assist in removing them.

 

Subsequent images revealed numerous fire ant bite marks across Rogers’ face, neck, chest, and shoulders, prompting her attorney to describe the incident as "torture." Rogers further stated that her 9-year-old son witnessed the ordeal from the backseat of her car.

 

Santa Fe ISD Police Chief Ruben Espinoza, one of the officers named in the lawsuit, disputed Rogers’ claims, stating that there were no signs of fire ants present in the grass during the arrest. He also asserted that Rogers was treated with respect and dignity throughout the incident.

 

While Rogers pleaded guilty to charges related to fleeing from police, she maintains that she drove away after Espinoza allegedly banged on her car and pointed a gun at her, causing her to panic. However, Espinoza described Rogers as irate and accused her of knowingly ignoring his orders and fleeing from police.

 

As of now, the Santa Fe Police Department has not provided additional comments regarding the incident.