Former cop: Son was improperly searched

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - A member of the Newport News School Board and retired Newport News police officer is accusing detectives of improperly searching her son Thursday afternoon.

Pricillia Burnett said officers hit her son, Ashley Burnett Jr., 28, and pepper sprayed him on the side of the road in Denbigh.

"They sprayed him with mace while his hands were behind his back," said one witness. "They finally got him on the ground and they did the cavity check."

Burnett said a detective put a plastic glove on his right hand and improperly searched him.

"They raped him," Burnett added. "He was in handcuffs and they raped my son."

"It's not right," said the witness. "I know you can't perform a cavity check right there in the middle of the street. Why would you do that?"

Priscillia Burnett worked for the Newport News Police Department from January 1983 and retired as a Master Police Officer in 2008. Burnett was elected to the Newport News School Board in 2010.

"Any other citizen in the city of Newport News that has been subjected to a body cavity search by any officers anywhere should come forward," said Burnett.

Police said Burnett was blocking traffic for a period of time, so that vehicles had to slow down or pull into the oncoming traffic to avoid him. Officers said that he refused to move out of the roadway, and when they went to ticket him, he refused to sign the summons, and refused arrest.

Ashley Burnett is charged with two counts of assault on a law officer, one count of resisting arrest, and one count of obstruction of justice by threat of force.

WAVY.com dug into Burnett's criminal past and found several previous charges, including burglary, unlawful wounding and drug charges with intent to distribute.  He served jail time for some of the arrests.

Newport News Police said an internal investigation is ongoing in reference to the claim that police conducted an improper search.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FOP'S RESPONSE TO MRS. BURNETT'S ALLEGATIONS.