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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 Richard asked that his last name not be published.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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1 The dog was not kicked, it was pushed away with a foot

2 Driver defended himself with an open hand push to an attacker who had a balled fist in a striking position and who ran up to him aggressively.


The UPS driver wins every time. Paulson gets cited for PC415 and whatever leash law the city has since the driver was on public property.


Nothing to see here folks. And Karen, your headline and video tag are shameless and libelous.


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your absolutely wrong … dog was clearly kicked. Balled fist? Wrong the guy was pointing. Are you the police officer who screwed up and didn’t send case to DA in the first place or are you the UPS driver who over reacted?


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Dexter. I guess you must be looking at a video that I didn’t see. BTW are you Paulson?


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Does Atascadero have a leash law? If the dogs had been on leashes, this incident would never have happened.


Leashes protect the public and the dog. Some people don’t understand that. If your dog is on a leash and close to you, even though it’s barking and jumping, most people will not feel threatened and kick it away. IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND? REALLY?


YOU PROTECT YOUR PET BY HAVING IT ON A LEASH IN PUBLIC.


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This facility has several UPS deliveries a week and the right thing to do is to have the dogs put away at that time, and yes that fool approached the UPS man with a closed fist.

That dog was barley touched, from the type of bark it was more startled the hurt.

approach any man with a closed fist and your natural reaction is defense.

I know one thing, hopefully that dog learned his lesson


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UPS Drivers enter private property every day and encounter dogs.If the dog is threatening, that is what mace is for, all mail carriers have it. These little dogs were on private property and there is no excuse for kicking one of them in the head. Further more what was the excuse for pushing an elderly woman to the ground? Really? This driver sounds like the wicked witch of the west :”I’ll get you and your little dog too”.


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Oops, I guess I misread the story. I thought he pushed an elderly resident but it would appear that that isn’t the case. Looks like he pushed the worker Either way, he shouldn’t have kicked the little dog. On the other hand, it’s hard to tell if he actually kicked the dog and hurt it, or if he just used his foot to push it away and then pushed the male owner away. It’s hard to say what the actual facts are here.


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Yep, that was another case of “ready, fire, aim!” Glad you caught it.


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The video does not show anyone being shoved to the ground, and the dog owner, Tim Paulsen, looks like a man to me. In fact, the story says that the dog owner was a man, a former biker, not an elderly woman. The video shows the “man” attempting to assault the UPS driver with a closed fist.


I would like to see the Doctor’s dated report on this man’s injuries–I don’t believe his claims. He may have injuries, to be sure, that have occurred since his motorcycle accident, but he wasn’t shoved away hard enough to have obtained those injuries from this incident. Just look at the video. This is a SCAM!


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really if they were on leash it would not have happened? What about the leash that goes out 20 ft and can be reeled back in?


Leash law states dog must be under control either on leash or off. You can have your dog off leash if it is under your verbal control.


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This was almost 2 months ago. Has Mr. Paulsen been fired yet? He and his dogs are a major liability to the assisted living facility.


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You should be more careful with your legal terms–the DA hasn’t even reviewed this yet. It could be he is shaking a set of canine teeth out of his leg and defending himself against an aggressive dog owner that is slightly unbalanced.


I just thought I would throw this in there…..since you guys are doing so many stories similar to the level of National Enquirer lately. You undoubtedly do not have the deep pockets they do, however, so….err on the side of caution. It isn’t too difficult in a town this size to find out that UPS man’s identity. Part of innocence until proven guilty is the part where you don’t put people on trial in the media—and slander them in the process, therefore biasing the outcome.


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Paulsen said. “This assault was completely unprovoked…”


The video clearly shows that Paulsen ran at the UPS driver with his arm raised ready to attack. That seems like you provoked him to me, Mr. Paulsen.


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I believe the correct term would be “goes parcel.”


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Unleashed dogs are not fair game to kick. If a dog bites you, defend yourself but dont kick a dog simply because its off a leash and barking. I get just as angry with negligent pet owners who allow aggressive dogs to run a muck but as for my dogs, all im saying is, you hurt my dog, I will hurt you.


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Any dog that runs toward a person deserves a drop kick to the teeth… what is that was a child visiting their grandma…and the dogs do no belong to any person in the living care facility…a worker brings them in so they wont be locked up in his house all day,,


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we all know what lawman would have done! shot the dam dog. nobody messes with the man who is to serve and protect our safety…..


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I hate seeing any pets kicked, but the dog was being aggressive and the owner should already be aware of how the dog reacts to noisy large trucks and strangers. I walk my dogs regularly and always on a leash. You’d be surprised how many people take their dogs out off-leash and then as the dog is charging at us the person shouts, “he’s/she’s friendly!” I don’t know if the owners realize how stupid that statement sounds as the dog is in full charge mode!


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These are small dogs at a NURSING home! To me, my dogs are my family. Leashed, unleashed, it dont matter to me, you kick my dog for any reason, I will treat you like you just kicked my kid and yes, it will be violent!


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Those nosy little ankle biters hurt when they bite,keep the little rats on a leash,if a dog runs at someone barking then it is liable to bite,on the other hand if a dog wonders over to someone wagging its tail,like most Labs do, then I would consider that a friendly move, there are leash laws.


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Yea but your kids aren’t out biting people and causing injury because of.


So if a person comes running up into your driveway and was ready to attack you, you would just stand there defenseless? No deference here. A person has a RIGHT to defend themselves against person or animal.


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