When police believe they own you

Via FlexYourRights.org comes a disturbing article.
Now at this point it’s charges and denials in a lawsuit, and I have no way to verify what actually happened, but if the charges in the lawsuit are true…
Jason Burnham, age 34, was distraught after the death of his 9-month-old daughter in 2002, and carried her ashes in a sealed pendant that he wore around his neck (not the thing I’d do, but…) He also had a legal prescription to Xanax for depression due to his daughter’s death.
He was stopped by Officer Brad Cline in Florida after Hurricane Charley, who mistook the effects of Xanax for intoxication. After examining his Xanax pills, the officer asked about the pendant.
Thinking it might contain cocaine, he took the pendant, broke the seal, and dumped it on the hood of his car. After seeing that it was ashes and not cocaine, Officer Cline wiped the ashes onto the ground, and sent Burnham on his way.

The seven-count lawsuit accuses the city of false arrest/false imprisonment and detention of Burnham, and violation of his right to privacy. It accuses the city and Cline of invasion of privacy and violation of Burnham’s civil rights. Finally, it accuses Cline of intentional infliction of emotional distress on Burnham.