California policeman accused of tickling feet of man killed by officers

(Reuters) - A California police officer is under investigation for allegedly "manipulating" the body of a man who had been shot dead by police, the Bakersfield Police Department said on Monday, and a newspaper said the officer had tickled the corpse's feet and grasped his head. The department did not provide details of how Senior Officer Aaron Stringer allegedly manipulated the body of Ramiro Villegas, who was killed by police in November. But the Bakersfield Californian newspaper, citing police department reports, said Stringer tickled the corpse's feet and then grasped his head and said he liked "playing with dead bodies." Stringer was placed on paid administrative leave on Nov. 15, two days after Villegas was shot and killed by police, the department said in a press release on Monday. The alleged incident took place while Villegas's body was in a room at Kern Medical Center following the shooting, the department said. Bakersfield police launched both internal and criminal investigations of the incident and submitted its findings to the Kern County prosecutors, who declined to file charges, the department said. The internal investigation is still continuing. Villegas was shot after a car chase, the Bakersfield Californian reported. His family is being represented by celebrity attorney Mark Gallegos in a claim against the city. The newspaper said Stringer arrived on the scene after the shooting with Lindy DeGeare, a probationary officer, and offered to show her the body. She later reported that he took Villegas's feet and said, "tickle, tickle," the newspaper reported, citing the officer's statements in reports. Bakersfield is an oil and agricultural city about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)