Woman Sues Police After She Was Tasered While in a Restraint Chair

Recently released bodycam footage shows Colorado cops tasing a woman while placing her in a restraint chair with a spit hood on. 

Lauren Gotthelf, 34, was arrested in November 2017 for smoking in a prohibited area and walking her dog without a leash.Her service dog, Sage, which she has for emotional support, was taken to the pound. She was taken in handcuffs to the county jail.

She was put in a holding cell for three hours before being told she was being placed on suicide watch.

That's when cops in Boulder, Colorado, placed her in a restraint chair. They also covered her head with a special hood, called a spit sock, and tasered her. 

Now she is suing the Boulder County Sheriff's Department, alleging they used "gratuitous and sadistic force." 

The sheriff’s department told Inside Edition that deputies used the "minimal amount of force required to reduce violence and ensure safety."

Her attorney, Mari Newman, told Inside Edition, “Even if she were argumentative it is simply not legal or human justification for tasing someone who is totally restrained.”

Four hours passed before she was let out of the chair. In a statement, the Boulder Police Department denied using excessive force.

RELATED STORIES