After being charged with tampering with physical evidence, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of marijuana, actress Amanda Bynes claimed that one of the arresting officers sexually harassed her, as reported by CNN and several other media outlets.
Known for her work in Nickelodeon television shows and the feature films "Hairspray" and "Easy A", Bynes had recently been in jail after allegedly throwing a marijuana bong out of the window of her apartment – only to crash on the pavement 36 floors below.
Bynes, 27, defended herself on her Twitter account by sending out a tweet that read, "Don't believe any reports."
New York Police spokesman Christopher Pisano stated that on May 23 officers were called to Bynes' Manhattan apartment by her building manager as the man had witnessed her smoking an "illegal substance" in the apartment building lobby.
When the officers arrived on scene Bynes had returned to her apartment. Officers knocked on the door and were let in. They detected both the bong and other paraphernalia associated with marijuana use on a coffee table. Bynes immediately tossed the bong out of a window.
Bynes said that the police report is "all lies" and that instead she was "sexually harassed by one of the cops the night before last" as they arrested her.
Bynes has claimed that she only opened a window in her apartment to let in some "fresh air" and that she did not through anything out of it. According to the actress the officer "lied" in his report and "slapped my vagina. Sexual harassment. Big deal."
New York police Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told reporters, "As it would with any such allegation, regardless of its credibility or lack thereof, the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating it."
Bynes further claimed that she was handcuffed, "which I resisted ... then I was sent to a mental hospital. Offensive." She later tweeted, "The cop sexually harassed me, they found no pot on me or bong outside my window. That's why the judge let me go."
Bynes appeared in court on May 24 and was released. She is to appear again in court in July.
Bynes is currently facing a DUI trial in California. In 2012 there were two separate cases of hit-an-run incidents that had been dismissed by the end of the year. Earlier in May of this year Bynes received a three-year probation sentence for driving while her license had been suspended.
Bynes began acting as a young teen. Her Nickelodeon show for kids, "The Amanda Show", had been a hit. A later television sitcom, when Bynes was a young adult, was called "What I Like About You" and also starred Jennie Garth. All of her acting roles maintained a clean image that now, according to speculation, has been tarnished by her own actions.
Criminal charges, regardless of celebrity status, require that you contact a criminal defense attorney for help. Your attorney will advise you that what you share on social networks may also be used in court.
