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UPS driver goes postal

July 8, 2015

By KAREN VELIE

A UPS driver delivered more than a package to an assisted living facility in Atascadero in late May. The driver also kicked a small dog before assaulting the dog’s owner.

On May 28, Tim Paulsen arrived for the afternoon shift at a 15 person assisted living facility in Atascadero with his two dogs, Patch and Bonnie Bell. The white American Eskimo and black Scottish Terrier work with residents at the facility.

The dogs ran up to the driver barking and the UPS employee responded by kicking Patch in the head. Patch rolled on the ground howling, prompting her owner, Paulsen, to run towards the driver.

The driver then shoved Paulsen, who had broken ribs in a motorcycle accident several years earlier.

UPS“As I went to retrieve the dog, the driver then hit me in the chest, dislocating my rib from my solar plexus and re-breaking one of my ribs,” Paulsen said. “This assault was completely unprovoked. The driver threatened to kick me as I tried to calm the situation down.”

Richard, a resident at the facility who witnessed the incident, said the dogs are very friendly and were not acting aggressively. Richard asked that his last name not be published.

“The dogs were just barking and did not attack anyone,” Richard said. “He kicked the dog twice and it screamed.”

After the residents went to bed, Paulsen called the Atascadero Police Department. The department is putting together a report it plans to send to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office in the next few days, Commander Joe Allen said.

The driver told officers he felt threatened by both the dog and Paulsen, Allen said. Surveillance video at the facility captured the incident.

Officials at UPS did not disclose if the driver was reprimanded or the driver’s name. Nevertheless, Paulsen said he has seen the driver working the same route since the incident and does not think UPS handled the incident appropriately.

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The driver protected himself from a bite injury by kicking the dog away. The dog didn’t go sailing through the air like he was trying to injure it. He has a right to defend himself when being attacked. How was he supposed to know if the dog would bite him or not? Same with the dogs owner coming at him in a menacing way with his hand raised. Perhaps the dog and his owner learned a valuable lesson. UPS driver did nothing wrong. If he is reprimanded or held liable then that would be WRONG.


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If I saw teeth coming at my bare legs, I certainly, most definitely would not wait for another bite. People who allow their dogs to attach should have goal posts so the defendant can atleast kick a field goal. Sorry to those bleeding hearts but you’d understand if you have had your legs chomped on while the owner calmly sez to Poopsy, stop that, I say stop that, bad doggy. And then if the owner attacked me, on the job or off the job, it would be a sweep kick to put whatever on their arss. Sure there other options but religion is not a reflex to defend yourself from bodily harm.


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Where was the spray can. I thought they were suppose to carry it incase of approaching dog, The dogs are jumping not mad dashing. The driver must deal with this type of incident frequently so he must have had some training on how to handle the situations. Looks postal to me and I don’t even like dogs, but still would not hurt one for no reason.


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No excuse for kicking the little rat dog, but Mr. Paulson seems to have conveniently forgotten that he ran up to the driver with clenched fist. Likely a firing in store for the driver.


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I agree that the driver just appears to be protecting himself. And why does it matter that the dog owner had previously broken his ribs? Was the UPS driver supposed to know that somehow?


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because in civil lawsuits, you get your victim as they are. In other words, a shove like that would not hurt most people, however, because of the person’s pre-existing condition he is going to try and prove serious damages to his body.


Look up “eggshell plaintiff” for a full explanation.


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Yes, I understand that but the article isn’t about a lawsuit; it’s about a worker “going postal.” The implication of the article is that the UPS driver’s actions were somehow worse because the guy who came at him supposedly had a pre-existing injury.


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But, why would someone who knew that the had broken ribs go on the attack?


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“The driver then shoved Paulsen, who had broken ribs in a motorcycle accident several years earlier.”


Several years earlier? I broke my arm when I was 13. That alone wouldn’t stop me from getting into an altercation if I thought it was necessary. The broken ribs bit just doesn’t make a lot of sense.


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It will make sense when the civil trial against the respondiate superior (UPS) for the intentional tort of battery begins.


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Right. I broke my ribs three years earlier and they weren’t bothering me any more so when you seeing me charge toward the UPS man, that didn’t really happen. Did I mention that I broke my ribs several years before the thing with the UPS guy?


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I’m not defending the guy, just pointing out that he will use his supposed reinjury of his pre-existing condition to attempt to profit from the shove down to the ground – and the legal system takes that into consideration.


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Reminds me when I was a paperboy as a kid. I drive partway up into this guys driveway and his mid size dog comes running at me. I back off a bit as the owner says………don’t worry he doesn’t bite………..well as he started to say bite the dog bit me on the knee.


My job still entails me meeting with dogs from time to time. I haven’t had to kick any but you can bet your ass if one bites me again like when I was young, unprovoked, he will get kicked a lot further than this dog did and if I’m bit and the owner comes after me………….he better come PREPARED!!


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It is amazing to me that people think it is o.k.for their dog to bite someone. I only say this from looking at the negs. Don’t know what else to assume.


Also I am not advocating violence against the animal just for violence. I have stopped teen boys I have seen bullying cats and dogs for no reason. Being bit there is a REASON!!!


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No I do not think it is okay for a dog to bite someone but I also do think the UPS driver was right kicking the dog.Most dog owners have a lot to loose if their dog bites someone when there is a real good chance that they will get sued.I willing to bet if he would stood still or yelled at them NO! they would of stopped.I have been charged by dogs and never have been bitten just by yelling at them,standing still or doing both.


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Did you get a glimpse of the biker? He might get ? $50 if he sold his ponytail, but I’ll bet that is the extent of his worth. Think gold digger. This guy has nothing to lose., nothing.


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Plus, he gets his 15 minutes of fame… PRICELESS!


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You previous commenters nailed it, go with the driver on this one: Off leash dog reasonably and moderately repulsed, full run approach and raised fist of owner, arguably assault on the driver, one healthy defensive shove (instead of a blow or a clenched fist) by the driver. Conclusion:


on duty professional driver : no wrong here


moron dog owner with in-your-face behavior of a biker, on-rushing: 100% fault


DA should file owner misdemeanor based on the tape. Thank goodness for video evidence.


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Right or wrong, I would mop the floor with anyone who kicks my Dog or anyone elses. I dont stand for that crap.


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Sounds like you’d go with the biker’s side on this one, Code.

Figures. “Mop the floor”, huh?. Typical violent attitude.


Leash law is the answer, not violent attitude.


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805, are you one of those nitwits that doesn’t leash your dog. Any unleashed dog the charges is fair game. If it’s leashed and charges successfully, you are fair game.


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I thought about this story last night, and I got even more irritated at the dog owner.


First of all, if his “hitting him in the chest” (looked like the driver pushing him out of his personal space to me) caused him a broken rib and other injury, then he either is the weakest man alive, or must have some pretty bad osteoporosis for his bones to be that brittle.


Secondly, I have done many home visits in my day. I have had dogs of all sizes charge me, from Chihuahuas, Pit Bulls, German Shepards, even a few farm animals and “exotic pets”. Let me tell you, my personal nemesis is the Cocker Spaniel.


There are leash laws, and owners are responsible for controlling their animal. ANIMAL. They are not predictable.


If that driver had any sort of a reprimand, he should get a lawyer. He has a right to work in a safe environment.


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The biker is looking for a way to get off the government dole and move on up to private sector $ by way of a bogus lawsuit.


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