A man who says he was asleep last year when Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies, a Tacoma police officer and a K-9 dog attacked him while a “COPS” television segment was being taped is suing the officers and police departments. Aaron Hansen, 34, sued Pierce County and the cities of Lakewood and Tacoma in U.S. District Court in Tacoma this week, saying they violated his constitutional rights against unreasonable searches and excessive force. The suit names Tacoma police officer Christopher Karl as well as Joseph Kolp and Russell Martin, who both worked for the Sheriff’s Department last year, but now work for the Lakewood Police Department.
Hansen’s lawyers say a jury should award him damages and keep the law officers from taking along “COPS” or other reality-based film crews because they place residents in jeopardy.
Officials for the sheriff’s department, and the cities of Tacoma and Lakewood couldn’t comment on the suit Thursday.
Lakewood police decided in the spring to break off ties with the reality show. The sheriff’s department would still welcome the “COPS” television crews, spokesman Jerry Bates said.
Hansen’s lawsuit says that after midnight July 10, 2004, sheriff’s deputies – then under contract to protect Lakewood – were searching for a suspect along with Karl and his K-9 dog, “X.”
They came across Hansen, who was sleeping with a blanket and a pillow on a friend’s property after attending a party. He was told to show his hands, but Hansen continued sleeping, the suit says.
He says he slept through the dog barking, the officer’s orders and an officer ripping away his blanket and pulling him up.
The officers twisted Hansen’s arms and fired an electric stun gun into his chest, the suit says. Finally waking, Hansen struggled in confusion and fear, lawyers contend.
The K-9 dog attacked Hansen, ripping apart his ankle, and the officer fired stun gun shots into Hansens’ rear end, the lawsuit says.
Officers arrested Hansen and prosecutors charged him with multiple counts of assault, but the charges against him were dismissed later, the suit says.
Hansen’s attorneys, C. Philip Bolland and Hugh McGavick, said the officers knew they didn’t have probable cause to arrest him, but they still entered private property and seized him. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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