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Posted at 5:57 p.m., Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Honolulu Advertiser
"Dog" accused of breaking woman's back
Advertiser Staff
Bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman is being sued by a woman who says members of his entourage crashed through the ceiling to break into her Pearl City apartment, threw her down a flight of stairs and broke her back as they arrested a fugitive who had two broken ankles.
The incident allegedly occurred Jan. 26, 2005 at Emery's apartment on Kipaipai Street with a Hybrid Films crew filming, said attorney Richard Turbin, who filed the suit Jan. 23 at Circuit Court on behalf of Audrey Emery.
"This totally unnecessary violent assault occurred when Da Kine Bail Bonds under deceptive pretenses attempted to revoke the bail of Stuart Calistro, who was hardly a flight risk with two broken ankles," Turbin said in a written statement. "Dog and his henchmen caused destruction to Ms. Emery's home as Leland Chapman (son of Dog) crashed through a ceiling and wrecked Ms. Emery's daughter's bed, toys and porcelain dolls. The plaintiff's embarrassment and humiliation was broadcast on national TV."
Turbin added that all Chapman had to do was call Calistro and tell him to report to his probation officer.
Duane Chapman and his wife, Beth, released the following statement Wednesday through their publicist, Mona K. Wood:
"Our family has become the target of frivolous lawsuits and publicity-seeking attorneys. We pride ourselves in making sure that everything we do is within the bounds of the law and we are confident that we did so in this case. The videotape in the television show itself demonstrates that the charges against us are baseless. The fugitive's mother, who was the co-signer of the bond, specifically asked us to revoke her son's bond and we complied with her wishes.
"We treat our clients with compassion. In this particular case, as the program itself shows, we took Mr. Calistro to the hospital where he was found to have no new injuries."
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