A Tucson woman has filed a $250,000 claim against the city, alleging that she was attacked by her estranged husband after a police officer in training provided the man with her address when serving him with a protective order.
The claim, filed with the city on Oct. 26, says that the victim was “savagely attacked” after her husband broke into her home.
The Star is not identifying the woman or her husband, as she is the victim of domestic violence.
The victim’s husband is currently serving a one-year sentence in prison, after he was convicted in September of two felony charges of domestic violence aggravated harassment associated with the attack, according to a pre-sentence report filed in Pima County Superior Court.
On April 5, the victim’s estranged husband was served by Tucson Police with an order of protection. The following day, police were called to the woman’s apartment after her husband broke in and attacked her, according to report.
The victim told police that she woke up to her husband with his hands around her neck, saying that he’d break it if she didn’t give him money. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the floor, but she was able to escape to a closet, where she remained locked inside for an hour, the report says.
The victim couldn’t call police because her cell phone battery was dead, but her roommate called when she arrived home.
While she was in the closet, she could hear him calling a friend to bring a gun.
The husband fled the scene and called the victim, and an officer was able to convince him to return. He was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated assault in violation of a protection order, burglary and two counts of aggravated harassment.
He remained in jail until his sentencing and accepted a plea agreement for two of the charges, according to the report.
The man, who has six felony convictions on his record, including endangerment, fraud, forgery and aggravated robbery, told the court that he became addicted to heroin after his doctor’s license was revoked. He also said that in his “prior domestic violence offenses,” he was drunk, the report says.
The city has 60 days to respond to the claim before the woman can file a lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court.
