A woman has filed a lawsuit against Boulder County, Colorado and several sheriff’s deputies, claiming that excessive force was used on her during her arrest in 2017.



The suit accuses the Boulder County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) of refusing her reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and tasing her while was strapped down to a chair. This occurred while she was arrested and ticketed for smoking and having her dog off leash.



Lauren Gotthelf was arrested in downtown Boulder for refusing to sign a ticket that an officer wrote her for having her service dog off leash, smoking in public, and littering in a popular plaza. She explained in the suit that the dog was allowed to be off leash because of its service dog status.



While being booked, deputies claim that Gotthelf "expressed an intention to harm herself," though she denies the accusation that she made suicidal claims. After being placed in a holding cell, they say she continuously refused to comply and was placed in a restraint chair, and when she continued to struggle they “touch tased” her.



Attorney Mari Newman who is representing Gotthelf said the excessive force was “not going to help somebody who's suicidal.”



"If they truly believe that Lauren was suicidal, the best response would've been one of compassion one of humanity. But instead, what they did is immediately escalate the situation and treat her with unnecessary brutality," she said.