Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Woman Who Nearly Lost Arm To K-9 Cop Plans Lawsuit
TheNewMexicoChannel.com ^ | November 11, 2003

Posted on 11/11/2003 9:45:51 AM PST by Sweet_Sunflower29

A woman who nearly lost her arm following an incident with a police dog criticized the law enforcement officials who allowed it to happen, and plans to file a lawsuit.

Officials said Toni Osborne, 50, ran from Bernalillo police following a disturbance call. Sandoval and Bernalillo County officials also got involved after Osborne fled, trying to stop her in her pickup truck.

Officials said Osborne refused to surrender, and threatened them with a handgun, even after they used pepper spray. That's when they released a police dog.

"I remember the dogs and the pain in my arm and asking 'please get the dogs off me,'" Osborne said. "That's the last thing I remember: My eyes burning, then the dogs."

Osborne is one of the ring leaders behind recalling the town's mayor and supporting the former chief of police -- a main reason she was attacked, she said.

"The information that was relayed to us was that (Osborne) was armed with a handgun," said Michelle Arviso Devlin, of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. "She was pointing (the gun) at deputies. That's why we used a canine. We will not send a deputy into that situation."

According to investigators, Osborne was threatening individuals and causing damage to property. Officials said the canine was released only after Osborne refused to surrender.

"She started beating the canine on the head, and she continued beating the canine and punching it about the face," Devlin said.

"I didn't attack no dog. Who would attack a dog? I mean, come on," Osborne said. "I almost lost my arm. They almost cut my arm off. Ate it up."

Osborn was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, aggravated fleeing and a number of traffic charges.

Osborne plans to file a lawsuit against the agencies involved.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

1 posted on 11/11/2003 9:45:54 AM PST by Sweet_Sunflower29
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Sweet_Sunflower29
Now, does anyone have the actual story here?
2 posted on 11/11/2003 9:47:52 AM PST by dirtboy (New Ben and Jerry's flavor - Howard Dean Swirl - no ice cream, just fruit at bottom)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sweet_Sunflower29
Officials said Osborne refused to surrender, and threatened them with a handgun, even after they used pepper spray. That's when they released a police dog.

She should be happy she isn't taking a dirt nap.

3 posted on 11/11/2003 9:50:52 AM PST by MediaMole
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MediaMole
Yep. I know many cops who say that suspects are far more afraid of a snarling German Shepherd than they are of a cop with a gun.
4 posted on 11/11/2003 9:55:22 AM PST by diamondjoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MediaMole
My thoughts exactly. Every other story we hear about the police shooting someone, they had a gun and were "threatening" officers with it. Why use a dog in this case? What made her so special?

Makes me wonder what the rest of the story is...

5 posted on 11/11/2003 10:04:05 AM PST by Dead Corpse (For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Dead Corpse
Makes me wonder what the rest of the story is...

So you yell and shout about the cops when they shoot, and also when they don't?

Why don't you just admit you hate cops and be done with it?

6 posted on 11/11/2003 10:07:06 AM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Sweet_Sunflower29
They missed a great headline opportunity.

"Woman Who Nearly Lost Arm Sues For Arm and Leg"

7 posted on 11/11/2003 10:08:14 AM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: r9etb
"Women who lost arm rakes in money hand over fist."
8 posted on 11/11/2003 10:12:01 AM PST by diamondjoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: r9etb
I could easily admit I hate you. There are exceedingly few people to have gained that distinction. Clinton was one. You are in interesting company.

I don't like JBT's and the politicians who clamor for more. I also don't like their apologists and bootlicking cheerleaders like yourself. I also don't like criminals that scream "victim" at their first opportunity. And I hate scumbag lawyers who have twisted our legal system to a point where murders walk on the barest of technicalities.

All that being said, this story is worse than incomplete. A logical conclusion one way or the other is impossible to formulate at this time.

If you have a personal problem with me, let's take it elsewhere off of Jim's forum.

9 posted on 11/11/2003 10:13:43 AM PST by Dead Corpse (For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Sweet_Sunflower29
A woman who nearly lost her arm

That's silly. She either lost her arm, or she didn't. You can't "almost lose your arm" nor can you "nearly lose your arm".

I wish writers and editors would go back to school.

10 posted on 11/11/2003 10:32:23 AM PST by been_lurking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dead Corpse
I could easily admit I hate you. There are exceedingly few people to have gained that distinction. Clinton was one. You are in interesting company.

LOL! You're hopeless.

I will merely point out that your hatred of me is driven by my willingness to point out the stupid things you say.

It's very small-minded to hate other people for your own shortcomings.

11 posted on 11/11/2003 10:37:37 AM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: r9etb
Stupid? To say that there isn't enough unbiased info in this article to formulate a solid position is what? Stupid? Small-minded?

I'm not the one that wades right into the middle of these threads defending ANY action by the police. No matter how stupid, unlawful, or downright criminal that behavior by our law enforcment turns out to be.

Get a grip.

12 posted on 11/11/2003 11:04:56 AM PST by Dead Corpse (For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: MediaMole
Then how come she isnt charged with any gun related charges?

What happened to this "gun" she was pointing at them. It doesnt say in the story.
13 posted on 11/11/2003 11:07:22 AM PST by Sabretooth (I'm not SabERtooth, Im SabREtooth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Sabretooth
And since when do cops not just shoot someone if a gun is pointed at them?

Seems to be SOP to me.
14 posted on 11/11/2003 11:09:10 AM PST by Sabretooth (I'm not SabERtooth, Im SabREtooth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Sabretooth
As I've been trying to assert, this story is poorly written. It leaves WAY too many questions about what might have happened.

Of course, anyone questioning the official word is automatically branded "anti-cop".

How much you wanna bet this thread is gonna devolve pretty damn quickly?

15 posted on 11/11/2003 11:09:22 AM PST by Dead Corpse (For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: dirtboy
I didn't attack no dog

That's it, she admitted that she attcked the dog. She's guilty.

Wait, wait she probably is denying it, she meant "I didn't attack any dog". Whoops, sorry. i have egg on my face. I wonder what she got on the SAT's.
16 posted on 11/11/2003 11:13:11 AM PST by Conservomax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Dead Corpse
They probably used the dog instead of their guns because they figured she didn't have the balls to use it and because the dog was really hungry for a fat ignorant woman's arm. That's what K-9 dogs like best afterall.

How's that for devolution.
17 posted on 11/11/2003 11:18:13 AM PST by Conservomax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Conservomax
Not bad. Coulda been worse though, you could have mentioned her enthnicity, the typical steroetyping for that ethnicity, then made some off hand quip that the previous poster was some kind of "Constamtooshunalist" and didn't want even murder to be illegal.

Just wait, if this thread strays off topic like the rest... it'll get there. ;-)

18 posted on 11/11/2003 11:25:53 AM PST by Dead Corpse (For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Sabretooth
Here's an earlier story

link

Petitioning Woman Maced, Mauled By Police Dog
POSTED: 8:06 a.m. MST October 30, 2003

BERNALILLO, N.M. -- A woman who has been circulating a petition seeking removal of the Bernalillo mayor and a Bernalillo councilor was mauled by a police dog over the weekend following a chase.

Toni Osborn, of Bernalillo, was listed in satisfactory condition at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.

Osborn's attorney, Brad Hall, said police were duped by information from people with a political interest in her silence.

Sandoval County Undersheriff Tim Lucero said his department received a call Sunday to investigate a pickup truck being driven by a woman who was destroying property and waving a firearm.

Lucero said Osborn's truck fled toward Albuquerque, where Albuquerque police used a special vehicle to pin the truck to an embankment. Osborn was reportedly Maced and a police dog was deployed after she refused to cooperate.

Authorities said she did not have a gun.

---

My take, she's a bit of a nut. Of course, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you.

19 posted on 11/11/2003 11:33:04 AM PST by MediaMole
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: MediaMole
Puts a much different spin on things.

No gun eh? But the dog still needed to be let loose on her? I wish I had more time to google or lexis-nexus this one. It'd be interesting to get an official police spokesmens statement....

20 posted on 11/11/2003 11:43:40 AM PST by Dead Corpse (For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson