Bentleyville Woman Settles $250,000 Lawsuit with State Police Over Roadside Strip Search

BENTLEYVILLE, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Police will pay $250,000 to a woman from Bentleyville who alleged that a trooper subjected her to a strip search during a traffic stop in 2021. The settlement was disclosed in a federal lawsuit agreement earlier this year. Holly Elish, the plaintiff, filed the lawsuit against State Trooper Brian Rousseau, accusing him of unlawfully pulling her over and conducting a strip search on May 27, 2021, near Washington. The lawsuit also implicated North Strabane police Sgt. Abigail France, who allegedly performed the search at Rousseau’s request. According to the … Read more