"A COP MADE ME STRIP ON THE ROAD!".(police misconduct)

Angelina Torres says she used to feel protected by policemen, until one made her strip naked and walk home on a freezing New Year's Eve. She exposed the officer and soon learned she wasn't his only victim.

* It was New Year's Eve, and I was so excited about my plans for the night that I had bought a new dress. I was going to a special bash at a club called Chardonnay with Bobby, a guy I had been dating for only three months. My dress was a chiffon gown covered with sequins that looked like diamonds. It dipped down so low in the back that I couldn't wear a bra, and because it fell to my feet, I didn't need stockings with my open-toe platform heels. I pressed my hair into ringlets and then fixed my sister Melisa's hair--I'm 27, she's 30, and we live together in Mastic Beach on Long Island, about two hours outside of New York City. When we were ready, we jumped into my 1984 BMW to pick up Bobby.

We arrived at Chardonnay, which is about five miles from my home, and the place was packed. A bunch of my friends were already there, dancing and having fun. I ordered an Absolut and cranberry and spent the next hour gossiping with my friends and slow dancing with Bobby. At midnight, there was a champagne toast, so I had a few sips, and Bobby and I kissed. About 30 minutes later, I ordered another Absolut and cranberry but drank only some of it. I was getting tired, so I sat down for a little while. Then I noticed that Bobby was on the dance floor with a woman I had never seen before, and I got jealous. I went up to him and told him I was going home.

THE EVENING TURNS SOUR

Bobby followed me to the parking lot saying "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," but I was too upset to deal with him. I got in my car, cranked the radio, and started to drive off. As soon as I pulled onto the highway, I began to bawl. I couldn't see because of the tears--I even remember thinking I don't want to swerve because a cop might think I'm drunk--so I pulled over to dry my eyes. I was right across the street from the club and my radio was blasting when I heard a knock on my window. I thought it was Bobby, so I looked over and said "What?!" A young-looking cop with an attractive face was standing by my car.

He had pulled up behind me without his lights on. The first thing I thought was Oh dear, what did I do? I rolled down the window, and he asked, "Is everything all right?" I said, "Everything's fine. I'm just getting myself together and then going home." He asked me where I came from, I told him, and then he said, "Would you take an alcohol test?" I knew I wasn't drunk, so I said, "No problem." I had to blow into a tube in this handheld machine, which apparently has blue crystals in it that can detect liquor on your breath. I took the test, and he said, "Oh look, you passed."

Meanwhile, Bobby was watching from the parking lot and walked across the street to make sure I was okay. The cop said to him, "Don't come next to the car, She does not want to talk to you." I thought that was weird--I hadn't said anything to him about Bobby. So Bobby stood behind my car. I was glad he was there, though at that point I wasn't really concerned. I had passed the test and was going home. Or so I thought.