Police officer convicted for searching disabled man over lost phone

A police officer in the Stockholm area has been convicted of abuse of power for searching a man with an intellectual disability after misplacing his own mobile phone. The incident occurred in a locker room at a police station.

The officer approached the man, who was working in the police premises as part of his daily LSS (social services) activities, after failing to find his phone. According to the court ruling, the officer asked the man if he had seen the phone. When the man responded with only a "mischievous and somewhat bewildered look," the officer proceeded to pat down his clothes in search of the device.

The officer claimed he was unaware of the man's disability and attributed his "deviant behavior" to it. However, two colleagues of the officer testified that he did indeed conduct a body search, with one expressing surprise at the action. The search yielded no results, and the officer later found his phone in the gym area.

The Stockholm District Court found the officer guilty of abuse of power, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal. The officer was sentenced to 30 daily fines, totaling 17,400 Swedish kronor. He was also ordered to pay 8,000 kronor in damages to the man he searched, along with other court costs.