Attorney: Woman threatened, prevented aid as vicious dog attack continued

More information has been revealed about a tragic dog attack on a UPS driver doing his job in Pierce County.

Dori reported this week about a UPS driver who was attacked by up to five pit bulls after he delivered a package to a home in Pierce County. Now, according to a report from Orting Valley Fire and Rescue, it appears that a woman was watching the whole incident while expecting the dogs to kill the man.

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“She also threatened the EMT person with bodily harm, used profanity … and at one point threatened to get her gun and shoot him,” said Chris Davis, the attorney representing the UPS driver.

The driver had been working for UPS for a couple years. He has experience working with the Nevada Highway Patrol, has had EMT training in King County, as well as martial arts training. He was filling in for the regular UPS driver on this particular route when he walked past a chain linked fence to deliver a package to the home. Davis notes that there were no signs around the property warning about the dogs. After dropping off the package, five dogs approached and attacked him.

“He retreats and ends up jumping onto a flatbed trailer,” Davis said. “Some of the dogs jump up there and attack him, biting his legs. They got a firm grip on his legs … (the injuries) are gruesome. Multiple lacerations and deep lacerations exposing flesh and bone … he required numerous stitches. They are terrible, terrible injuries.”

Dog attack continues

According to an incident report from Orting Valley Fire and Rescue, EMT responders encountered a woman on the property as the attack continued in the background. The woman locked the gate and would not let EMTs onto the property. She said that the UPS driver was trespassing and kicked one of her dogs. She told the medics that the dogs were going to kill the man.

“The EMT man that responded notes that he was screaming for his life,” Davis said. “There was a tremendous loss of blood he could see, even from outside the chain link fence and the dogs were not stopping. They were viciously attacking him and he had taken off his belt to try to beat them away with the belt, which of course didn’t do anything.”

That’s when the EMT rammed the fence with his vehicle, drove alongside the truck the UPS driver was on and told him to jump onto the roof of the vehicle. But the driver was injured and could not make it. He was then pulled into the EMT vehicle through the window.

The UPS driver was driven off the property and to medical care. While they were driving away the woman yelled at them, according to the report: “You are a ******* idiot. Now the dogs are going to get out. I’m going to get my gun and shoot you.”

Davis says that he is considering a civil case against the woman on the property. He said that prosecutors and police are still investigating the dog attack.

“We believe they seriously should consider criminal charges, certainly against the woman who prevented access to the property,” Davis said. “I can think of at least three to five different potential criminal charges that could apply.”

Charges, Davis said, such as kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, threats of bodily harm, and obstruction of justice.

“She obviously has to be very cold … I don’t know if she is a sociopath or somehow mentally ill,” Davis said. “But for any normal human being to observe this horrible situation, they certainly would have done anything possible to get the dogs off; to allow the person onto the property to render immediate medical assistance. The fact she was more concerned about her dogs and prevented my client from escaping this horrible situation is depravity.”

The animals have been quarantined, which is standard procedure after such a dog attack. Davis said the dogs will at least have a “dangerous dog declaration” issued, but could be euthanized.