A California police officer is under investigation after he allegedly played with the body of a victim of an officer-involved shooting.
The officer in question, Aaron Stringer, tickled the corpse’s feet and moved the victim’s head around according to another officer who claimed she witnessed it.
Stringer, a field training officer, was “securing the scene and interviewing witnesses,” along with a trainee probationary officer.
According to the other officer, Linda DeGeare, Stringer put on gloves and uncovered the top of the body to examine his injuries.
Watch a full report on the disturbing ‘tickling’ incident below:
DeGeare reported that he then moved to the feet of the corpse, which had become uncovered, and playing with them, saying, “tickle tickle.”
He then pulled on one of the man’s toes and noted that rigor mortis must not have set in yet, but when he had difficulty moving the victim’s head, he said, “I guess it has.”
Stringer then began pulling the victim’s head forward and letting it fall back into place, at which point he told DeGeare that he “loves playing with dead bodies.”
DeGeare said that she felt immensely uncomfortable with the situation and did not touch the body.
“I just knew it was wrong, what was going on, and I should have said something at the time,” DeGeare said.
The victim whose body was allegedly manhandled was Ramiro James Villegas, who was killed in November after a police chase ended when he hit a pole.
Police opened fire when they said he began acting “aggressively.”