K-9 unit calendar designer sues city police chief, officers

A Winnipeg man is suing the city police chief and a pair of officers after a traffic stop in 2015, during which he alleges police searched his bag without consent and pulled him out of his car.

Rahim Dostmohamedis claiming general and special damages in a lawsuit launched earlier this month.

In a statement of claim filed on Dec. 13, Dostmohamedclaims he was pulled over by a police officer in January 2015 and was asked by the officer to provide his driver's licence and registration.

According to the document, Dostmohamed claims he had forgotten his wallet containing his licence at work, and told this to the officer.

Dostmohamed claims the officer assaulted him by pulling him out of the car and slamming his face into the side of it. As a result, he sayshe bled from the mouth and nose for the next several days. He'd had surgery three weeks before, and had to have it redone after the incident.

The document states that Dostmohamed called his brother and asked him to go get his wallet and bring it to the scene, which he did.

Shortly before his brother's arrival, Dostmohamedalleges another officer arrived at the scene. Upon his brother's arrival,Dostmohamed alleges the second officer took his shoulder bag containing the wallet and licence from his brotherand searched it without Dostmohamed's consent,continuing the search even after he found the licence.

"In so acting, the defendant ... violated the plaintiff's privacy and the plaintiff's right to be secure from unreasonable search," the statement reads.

According to the Winnipeg Police Service website, Rahim Dostmohamed later helped create the 2016K-9 unit calendar. Dostmohamed is credited with designing the calendar on the site.

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A spokeswoman for the WPS said the organization will not providecomment on the matter.