ACLU Investigates RCPD

The ACLU has filed a complaint against the Rapid City Police Department, after two officers had a hand in getting an Air Force sergeant kicked out of the military for being in a same-sex relationship.

Last November, police went to staff sergeant  Jene' Newsome's Rapid City home to serve an out of state warrant on her wife, Cheryl Hutson. In the process, they noticed an Iowa marriage certificate lying on a table, showing the two women were married.

Despite the fact the marriage had nothing to do with the arrest, officer Jeremy Stauffacher and detective Tom Garinger sent that information to the Air Force, causing the service to discharge Newsome for violating the don't ask-don't tell policy on gay military people.

Newsome, who served 9 years in the Air Force with a spotless record, said one of the officers told her that he saw the certificate and informed her that he knew how the military worked. Soon after the incident, she was discharged form the military.

Newsome believes the officer retaliated against her for not cooperating in the investigation of her wife….. 

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Police Chief Allender said he wouldn’t hash out the details in public, claiming the incident is between the Department and Newsome…

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Allender says he'll have more to report on this when the complaint has been fully investigated.