Detained for DUI while not under the influence

Location: Iowa

Hi all. I’m a 19-year-old college student, and I had an experience on the 4th of July that left me feeling violated and confused. I want to know if I have any legal recourse, or at least a way to formally report what I believe was an abuse of power.

Around 11:00am on July 4th, I was driving to my girlfriend’s house after working a 5am shift. About an hour into the drive, I was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy who said I was going 70 in a 55. I had never been pulled over before, and I politely explained that it might take a second to find my registration and license. He was friendly, helped me find the documents, and after a few minutes returned to tell me he was letting me off with a warning — didn’t want to “ruin my 4th of July.”

Then, he said his supervisor wanted him checking for drugs, alcohol, and explosives due to the holiday, and asked if he could search my car. He had been polite up to that point, and I wasn’t sure if refusing could result in a citation or escalation, so I consented. I had nothing to hide.

After a thorough search (he found nothing but benign items — flowers for my girlfriends mom, my Bible, my devotional study book, my guitar), he came back and said my eyes were red and that he needed me to take a field sobriety test. I explained I don’t drink or do drugs, ever, and asked if it was required. He said yes, “because your eyes are red.”

I complied with the full test, including a breathalyzer (which showed 0.000). He also pressured me into agreeing that the slanted road we were on was “level enough” for the test. At the end, he told me I showed “multiple signs of impairment” and said he was taking me to jail for further testing. He read me my Miranda rights, cuffed me, and placed me in the back of his car. I remained respectful throughout, despite feeling completely humiliated and confused.

He almost drove off without buckling me in — I had to remind him. At the jail, I was asked to provide a urine sample. After completing everything, he told me I’d hear back in a couple months about the results, thanked me for cooperating, and left me there. I asked if he could take me back to my car (4 miles away in 100+ degree heat, rural Iowa, no Ubers). He refused. My girlfriend’s parents had to drive 40 minutes there and back to get me.

I was so shaken I immediately went to a hospital in her town and requested a second drug test for documentation. Both that and the official test have since come back negative.

There was no dash cam or body cam footage. I’ve requested the police report to try to find out what “signs of impairment” he claimed to see.

This entire experience was humiliating and distressing. I’ve never broken the law and take pride in my integrity. I’m wondering:
– Do I have any legal recourse here for wrongful arrest or detainment?
– If not, is there a formal way to report this deputy’s actions?
– Can I push for body cams/dash cams in that department?
– Should I speak with an attorney about this?

Please note: I had this post edited by AI to help make it more readable.

I’d appreciate any guidance. I’m open to providing more info if helpful. Thank you.