Cop: Detective gawked at Houston’s corpse

One year has passed since Whitney Houston was found dead by her bodyguard on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hills hotel. Hours later she was to attend a pre-Grammy bash hosted by her longtime mentor, Clive Davis. She was 48. Here, Houston performs at a 2011 pre-Grammy event in Beverly Hills. The following is a look at the singer's life through the years.One year has passed since Whitney Houston was found dead by her bodyguard on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hills hotel. Hours later she was to attend a pre-Grammy bash hosted by her longtime mentor, Clive Davis. She was 48. Here, Houston performs at a 2011 pre-Grammy event in Beverly Hills. The following is a look at the singer's life through the years.
"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" was a hit single from Houston's second album, titled "Whitney.""I Wanna Dance With Somebody" was a hit single from Houston's second album, titled "Whitney."
 Whitney Houston poses with her American Music Award in 1986 backstage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Whitney Houston poses with her American Music Award in 1986 backstage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
 Houston poses with her mother, Cissy Houston, in March 1987. Houston poses with her mother, Cissy Houston, in March 1987.
Whitney Houston strikes a glamorous pose for a photo in 1987.Whitney Houston strikes a glamorous pose for a photo in 1987.
Houston performs in May 1988 at Wembley Arena in London.Houston performs in May 1988 at Wembley Arena in London.
Whitney Houston flashes her radiant smile in January 1991.Whitney Houston flashes her radiant smile in January 1991.
Houston sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, Florida, in January 1991, during the Persian Gulf War. Houston sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, Florida, in January 1991, during the Persian Gulf War.
Houston gestures as she sings the national anthem before the start of Super Bowl XXV in 1991.Houston gestures as she sings the national anthem before the start of Super Bowl XXV in 1991.
Whitney Houston performs in July 1991.Whitney Houston performs in July 1991.
Houston performs in October 1993 in the Netherlands.Houston performs in October 1993 in the Netherlands.
Houston attends the Rainforest Foundation Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1994.Houston attends the Rainforest Foundation Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1994.
Houston appears with her husband at the time, Bobby Brown, at the Soul Train Music Awards in March 1995. Houston received the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for entertainer of the year.Houston appears with her husband at the time, Bobby Brown, at the Soul Train Music Awards in March 1995. Houston received the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for entertainer of the year.
Houston stars in the 1996 movie "The Preacher's Wife."Houston stars in the 1996 movie "The Preacher's Wife."
Whitney Houston appears in New York, 1997. Whitney Houston appears in New York, 1997.
Houston performs during an AmFar Benefit Concert in New York City in December 1998.Houston performs during an AmFar Benefit Concert in New York City in December 1998.
Houston received the Best R&B performer award during the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards in Dublin, Ireland.Houston received the Best R&B performer award during the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards in Dublin, Ireland.
Houston appears at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in February 2000.Houston appears at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in February 2000.
Houston performs at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2000 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Houston performs at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2000 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Whitney Houston performs in 2001.Whitney Houston performs in 2001.
Houston poses with her cousin Dionne Warwick and producer Clive Davis during the15th annual Ella Awards in Beverly Hills, California, in September 2006. Houston poses with her cousin Dionne Warwick and producer Clive Davis during the15th annual Ella Awards in Beverly Hills, California, in September 2006.
Houston arrives at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for a charity function in October 2006. Houston arrives at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for a charity function in October 2006.
Houston performs during the German TV show "Let's Make a Bet" in 2009.Houston performs during the German TV show "Let's Make a Bet" in 2009.
Houston performs at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles in 2009, where she won the International Favorite Artist award. Houston performs at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles in 2009, where she won the International Favorite Artist award.
Houston performs at 02 Arena in London in April 2010. Houston performs at 02 Arena in London in April 2010.
Houston performs during a concert at the O2 World in May 2010 in Berlin. Houston performs during a concert at the O2 World in May 2010 in Berlin.
Houston performs at Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy, in May 2010.Houston performs at Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy, in May 2010.
Houston and her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, arrive at a gala event honoring David Geffen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in February 2011.Houston and her daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, arrive at a gala event honoring David Geffen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in February 2011.
Houston performs at the Beverly Hilton in February 2011.Houston performs at the Beverly Hilton in February 2011.
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  • Beverly Hills Sgt. Brian Weir reveals allegation in labor complaint
  • Weir was called to Whitney Houston's hotel room after she was found dead
  • A detective said, "Damn, she's still looking good, huh?" after pulling back sheet, Weir says
  • Weir alleges Beverly Hills official retaliated against him for complaining about the incident

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A police officer removed a sheet covering Whitney Houston's naked corpse and remarked, "Damn, she's still looking good, huh?" according to another officer at the scene.

The accusation against the Beverly Hills Police detective was revealed in a labor dispute filing made last week by Brian Weir, who was the senior patrol sergeant called to Houston's hotel room after she was found dead in a bathtub on February 11, 2012.

Weir claims the Beverly Hills police chief and others retaliated against him when he complained about the alleged actions of Det. Sgt. Terry Nutall at the death scene on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Beverly Hills city officials did not immediately respond to CNN calls about the allegations.

A new book of photographs, "Whitney: A Tribute to an Icon," was released last week.<br/><br/>"This was just shot in the bedroom," said Randee St. Nicholas, who curated the project and took many of the pictures in the book. "What I wanted to do with this shoot -- and I'm so happy I had the time to do it -- was just give a well-rounded perspective of her." <br/><br/>"She's not smiling and she's not dancing, which is what she did all day and every day. And when you're trying to shoot her, she's always dancing and singing, which is really fun. But every now and then, you want to get a more serious shot, just a moment where Whitney is more introspective. So that's what that setup was about."<br/><br/>
A new book of photographs, "Whitney: A Tribute to an Icon," was released last week.

"This was just shot in the bedroom," said Randee St. Nicholas, who curated the project and took many of the pictures in the book. "What I wanted to do with this shoot -- and I'm so happy I had the time to do it -- was just give a well-rounded perspective of her."

"She's not smiling and she's not dancing, which is what she did all day and every day. And when you're trying to shoot her, she's always dancing and singing, which is really fun. But every now and then, you want to get a more serious shot, just a moment where Whitney is more introspective. So that's what that setup was about."

"There's a little theater in this house, a screening room," St. Nicholas said. "That was at the end of the night. And you could see how much fun she was still having. We were there about 16 hours. It was heaven on Earth for me because you look at all of those pictures from that shoot and you see how amazing she was to shoot. This day I got to have her for as many hours as we needed. And at the end, she says, 'I'm getting a little tired.' I go 'Really? I think we can do one more shot.' '""There's a little theater in this house, a screening room," St. Nicholas said. "That was at the end of the night. And you could see how much fun she was still having. We were there about 16 hours. It was heaven on Earth for me because you look at all of those pictures from that shoot and you see how amazing she was to shoot. This day I got to have her for as many hours as we needed. And at the end, she says, 'I'm getting a little tired.' I go 'Really? I think we can do one more shot.' '"
"They hired me to shoot publicity pictures, and she had one day available and it was the dead of winter," St. Nicholas said. "So we just rented a house and shot there. I had not seen her at that point in maybe six years. It's been a long time. She hadn't really been doing anything. So when I got there she was in the amazing frame of mind and she was absolutely gorgeous. We had a wonderful day shooting. It was one of the only times she didn't have something else to do.""They hired me to shoot publicity pictures, and she had one day available and it was the dead of winter," St. Nicholas said. "So we just rented a house and shot there. I had not seen her at that point in maybe six years. It's been a long time. She hadn't really been doing anything. So when I got there she was in the amazing frame of mind and she was absolutely gorgeous. We had a wonderful day shooting. It was one of the only times she didn't have something else to do."
"She did everything she needed to do to make it special," sister-in-law Pat Houston remembers. "The camera loved her and she loved the camera. And she had such an iconic appeal with the beauty and her style that it was amazing. And to go along with that phenomenal voice, she was just absolutely amazing. Didn't have to do too much, just step in front of the camera. And once that happened, that was it."
"She did everything she needed to do to make it special," sister-in-law Pat Houston remembers. "The camera loved her and she loved the camera. And she had such an iconic appeal with the beauty and her style that it was amazing. And to go along with that phenomenal voice, she was just absolutely amazing. Didn't have to do too much, just step in front of the camera. And once that happened, that was it."
"Fiji water was her water of choice," Pat Houston said. "She loved Twix. She was a candy buff. Twix and M&Ms. Of course it didn't matter about the color. Just make sure her water was there; she could survive."
"Fiji water was her water of choice," Pat Houston said. "She loved Twix. She was a candy buff. Twix and M&Ms. Of course it didn't matter about the color. Just make sure her water was there; she could survive."
This photo was taken by during the music video shoot for "Exhale (Shoop, Shoop)," which was directed by Forest Whitaker. "In between them shooting, I set a black backdrop and pulled her to the side and shot this," St. Nicholas said. "Of course, she was listening to music. She loved music."
This photo was taken by during the music video shoot for "Exhale (Shoop, Shoop)," which was directed by Forest Whitaker. "In between them shooting, I set a black backdrop and pulled her to the side and shot this," St. Nicholas said. "Of course, she was listening to music. She loved music."
Whitney: A Tribute to An Icon
Whitney: A Tribute to An Icon
Whitney: A Tribute to An Icon
Whitney: A Tribute to An Icon
Whitney: A Tribute to An Icon
Whitney: A Tribute to An Icon

Houston drowned face down in a hotel tub of "extremely hot water" about 12 inches deep, the final autopsy report on the singer's death said. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled that Houston's death on the eve of the 2012 Grammy Awards was an accidental drowning with the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use" as contributing factors.

Whitney Houston's storied career: A regal rise, a tragic fall

Weir's complaint, filed on September 11 with California's labor department, said he covered Houston's body with a sheet "to prevent contamination or potential DNA and other potential evidence on the body" and to "preserve the dignity of the remains."

It said that Nutall -- who was assigned to investigate fraud, forgery and auto burglaries -- "knelt beside and leaned over the decedent, removed the sheet and/or other covering from the body of the decedent to an area below the pubic region of the decedent's body and came in close proximity to touching the body of the decedent while making inappropriate comments to the effect and substance that the decedent 'looked attractive for a woman of her age and current state' and 'Damn, she's still looking good, huh?'"

Weir, who had been in the "coveted positions" of sergeant with the SWAT and K-9 units, claims he told Beverly Hills officials about the incident, which he said he believed violated state and federal laws.

After complaining to his superiors and others in the Beverly Hills government, Weir was removed from his "coveted positions" of sergeant with the SWAT and K-9 units, denied promotion to other positions, removed from supervisory duties, denied special pay, denied training, harassed and ostracized, given inappropriate and harassing comments an/or documents, and subjected to conduct undermining his authority as a superior, the filing said. He also lost overtime pay, the filing alleged.

Whitney Houston death probe closed; 911 call released

The complaint accuses Police Chief David Snowden, Capt. Tony Lee and Nutall -- who has since been promoted to lieutenant -- of taking "reprisal actions, including acts of intimidation, restraint, coercion, discrimination, punitive, and/or disciplinary actions" against Weir.

Weir's lawyer Christopher Brizzolara is demanding economic and non-economic damages for his client, who has suffered damage to his law enforcement career and emotional stress.

Houston was last seen alive by her personal assistant in her Beverly Hilton room at about 3 p.m. that Saturday, the autopsy report said. The assistant left to run errands after telling Houston to take a bath in preparation for a pre-Grammy Awards party at the hotel that night, it said.

When the assistant returned to the locked room at 3:35 p.m., she found Houston "lying face down in the bathtub filled with water, unresponsive."

"The assistant called for her bodyguard, and together they pulled the decedent out of the bathtub," the report said.

When paramedics arrived about 10 minutes later, they moved Houston to the living room floor. At 3:55 p.m., 20 minutes after she was found by the assistant, paramedics concluded she was dead, the report said.

Houston won six Grammys and sold 170 million albums, singles and videos over her career.

In recent years, the singer's accomplishments were overtaken by her struggles with drug addiction.

FBI opens Whitney Houston's decades-old 'crazy' fan files

CNN's Rachel Wells and Jennifer Wolfe contributed to this report.

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