WARREN, Mich. – A Warren chiropractor faces significant legal problems and a criminal investigation into how he allegedly treated one of his patients.
Officials say he sells himself as one of only a handful of Michigan “Chiropractic Neurologists,” but the former patient claims he is a sexual predator and offers video as apparent proof.
The case involves Dr. John Pispidikis of the Spinal Recovery Center. The complaint was filed Friday (April 19) morning, which surprised the doctor.
The patient involved remains unnamed in the civil court documents, but she claims the doctor groped her during a physical exam last February. But she had no proof, so she claims she went out and got some.
In a most unusual move, attorney Azzam Elder held his press conference Friday afternoon on the sidewalk in front of Pispidikis’ Warren clinic. Elder’s client was not there and remains unidentified.
“He took advantage of her and took advantage of his ability of being a doctor who is supposed to be trustworthy and caring, and he basically was committing sexual assault and sexual battery,” said Elder.
Elder made the video public, which he says was taken by his client’s spy camera and brought into the exam room.
Local 4 blurred the video, seen in the video player above, due to its graphic nature.
Elder says his client first went for treatment of a rib injury last February, and she told a friend she thought the medical exam went much further.
“Her friend told her what’s happening to you is inappropriate and told her to get a camera,” Elder said. “No one’s going to believe you; you’re just a patient.”
So, the patient went for another exam, this time with the camera rolling. The clip runs about 30 seconds, and there is no audio. Elder says the over-the-counter surveillance camera didn’t come with a microphone.
The video shows the doctor touching her well below the ribs throughout most of the exam with her pressed up against or near the exam room door during the exam.
Elder believes that was to prevent anyone from walking in.
“We want to make sure this doctor is held accountable for what he did,” Elder said.
We reached out to Pispidikus before the press conference and got him on the phone, where he said a sexual assault never happened.
He said it could not be accurate and that whatever the accusation was was false. At that point, he had not been served with the suit.
We tried to speak with him again after he’d been served, but he did not respond, and his clinic had closed for the day.
Regarding the criminal charges, we called the Warren Police Department, which said they received a police report on Pispidikus and are investigating.
“In response to several media inquiries regarding allegations against a Doctor operating a business in the City of Warren, the Warren Police Department can confirm that a police report was filed in this matter. This report was assigned to a detective for additional investigation. The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office was notified due to the media attention. This is an open investigation and as such, no additional information can be provided at this time.”
Warren Police Department