Judge Rules St. Paul Officer Was Negligent in Police Dog Attack

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota federal judge says a woman bitten by a police dog last year deserves a jury award because the St. Paul officer handling the animal was reckless.

U.S. District Judge John Tunheim says in his ruling that the actions of officer Thaddeus Schmidt "were more than negligent" and resulted in a violation of Desiree Collins' constitutional rights. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Tuesday that a jury trial at a later date will determine how much the city should pay Collins.

Collins' lawsuit says Schmidt had the dog on a 20-foot leash as he searched for two burglary suspects. The 52-year-old woman was taking out her trash when the dog latched on to her left leg and then her right arm in September.