MENU
SEARCH“Both the city and (the involved police officer) have acknowledged that what happened was a terrible mistake,” Tunheim wrote in his decision. “(Officer Thaddeus) Schmidt’s contention is that his actions, while negligent, did not rise to the level of a constitutional violation. But even taking the facts in the light most favorable to Schmidt, his actions were more than negligent. They were reckless.”
Desiree Collins was taking her garbage out on the morning of Sept. 23, 2017, when she was attacked by a St. Paul police dog looking for a male burglary suspect. Both the city and the involved officer have said the incident was a "terrible mistake." (Photo: Screen shot from St. Paul Police Video)
A federal judge has determined that a St. Paul, MN, police officer was reckless in his handling of a police dog that knocked an innocent bystander to the ground and clamped down on her leg with his teeth.
U.S. District Judge John Tunheim found that Desiree Collins’ fourth-amendment rights were violated during the 2017 incident and that she is entitled to damages, according to an order issued by the U.S. District Court of Minnesota.
“Both the city and (the involved police officer) have acknowledged that what happened was a terrible mistake,” Tunheim wrote in his decision. “(Officer Thaddeus) Schmidt’s contention is that his actions, while negligent, did not rise to the level of a constitutional violation. But even taking the facts in the light most favorable to Schmidt, his actions were more than negligent. They were reckless.”
As such, Tunheim ruled in favor of Collins’ motion for summary judgment in her case.
A jury trial will be set at a later date to determine how much she will receive in monetary damages from the city, the Pioneer-Press reports.
Brinc’s new Guardian delivers 24/7 operations, Starlink connectivity, and a robotic charging nest that can swap batteries and change payload configurations without human intervention.
Read More →
The Colorado State Patrol, after analyzing its 2025 struck-by incidents, identified one area for improvement: using traffic cones to provide advanced warning before the cruiser's location. Here is the agency’s final data.
Read More →
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →
The mission of the Jorge Pastore Foundation is to support first responders through essential training, stronger community engagement, and mental wellness resources, all accessible and funded through donations, sponsorships, and foundation-led fundraising. It works closely with Team Wendy in the discussions about developing better protective gear for officers.
Read More →
Patrol work hasn’t changed—but the expectations on officers have. See how one police chief helped officers get the right information at the right time, improve patrol visibility, and strengthen trust without adding complexity or surveillance. This real-world story shows how patrol-driven technology can make the job safer, smarter, and more effective—starting on day one.
Read More →
What if Level I retention didn’t require a full duty rig? Safariland’s Solis delivers trusted ALS security in a streamlined OWB platform built for administrative and plainclothes professionals who need protection without the bulk.
Read More →
Real-world scenarios show that a tracking canine can detect and follow a human track several hours after it was made.
Read More →
In this video, we get a look at the latest law enforcement boots from Garmont Tactical, both for men and women. Kyle Ferdyn, sales manager, showcases four of the latest boots.
Read More →
With the commercial availability of Avon Protection’s EXOSKIN-S2, users now have increased options for their protective suit requirements across the spectrum of CBRN threat environments.
Read More →