Whitney Houston's Dead Body Mishandled? Police Officer Alleges Harassment After Reporting Colleague for Inappropriate Conduct

Sgt. Brian Weir alleges in a lawsuit that a fellow officer removed the sheet covering her body and made creepy comments

By Natalie Finn Mar 11, 2014 11:29 PMTags
Whitney Houston, 2009 American Music AwardsABC/CRAIG SJODIN

Here's hoping Whitney Houston continues to rest in peace, regardless.

A Beverly Hills police sergeant is suing the city, alleging that he was harassed after reporting a fellow colleague for supposedly mishandling the singer's body after she was found dead in the bathtub in her suite at the Beverly Hilton hotel on Feb. 11, 2012.

Per the lawsuit obtained Tuesday by E! News, Sgt. Brian Weir claims that, while he was in the room, a cop working for the fraud/forgery unit arrived and proceeded to look under the sheet that had been covering Houston's body, possibly contaminating the scene, and make inappropriate comments.

Tibrina Hobson/WireImage; Lester Cohen/Getty Images

According to Weir's lawsuit, Lt. Terry Nutall, "for no legitimate law enforcement inquiry, investigative or other proper and legal purpose," pulled the sheet down, exposing Houston down to her pubic region and made comments such as that she "'looked attractive for a woman of her age and current state'" and "damn, she's still looking good, huh?'"

Weir's suit states that he believed Nutall treated Houston's body in a way that Nutall himself knew would "outrage ordinary family sensibilities" in violation of the Model Penal Code and the Beverly Hills Police Deparment's own manual.

After the alleged incident, Weir reported Nutall's conduct to the department and the City of Beverly Hills and his complaint charges that his superiors and Nutall took reprisal action against him.

Weir claims that he was removed from his positions with the SWAT and K-9 Units with the BHPD, was denied promotions to other positions, was stripped of employment supervisory duties and responsibilities, was denied overtime and special pay and was otherwise harassed and ostracized by fellow officers.

The plaintiff is seeking actual, consequential and incidental losses, including and not limited to medical expenses and hits to his pension; general damages, injunctive relief restoring him to his positions with the SWAT and K-9 units; and to be reimbursed for attorney fees and costs of filing the suit.

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Houston's shocking death at only 48 years old was ruled an accidental drowning, brought on by the effects of artherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.

—Reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum