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Man Arrested For Assault For Resisting Citizen's Arrest

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- He's accused of locking his dogs inside a hot car, but he's in even more trouble for allegedly attacking a married couple who tried to stop him.

The dogs' owner, Bradley Green, says he was only resisting an unlawful citizen's arrest. The couple's confrontation with Green happened on a 99-degree day in a grocery store parking lot, where Green had allegedly left his dogs inside the car while he went to pick up something eat. When he came back out, that's when he said he was accosted by the couple.

"He jumped me and was on top of me," said Green.

It's not exactly clear how his troubles all started. CBS13's Steve Large caught up with Green at his home.

"You know, I don't think I really want to talk to you," said Green, who wound up telling his side of the story anyway.

Steve: "But you admit you did put your hands on them?"

Green: "I have a right to resist an unlawful detainment."

Steve: "That's what happened, huh?"

Green: "Yes."

When Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies arrived, they arrested him for assaulting the married couple. He allegedly slapped and punched them, and even poked the husband's eyes when they called 9-1-1.

"This is Tara and this is Tike," said Green, introducing his Pomeranians.

Steve: "And they weren't in any danger?"

Green: "No, I got a gallon of milk and a pre-made submarine sandwich and these people would not leave to let me go home."

The cute lap dogs appear fine now. Green says his dogs were safe from the beginning because he parked in the shade.

Now he's arguing the couple illegally detained him.

"One citizen cannot detain another citizen. When I came out of the store at that moment of time he had the right to call whatever authority he wanted," said Green.

That's the way Green sees it.

Steve: "The sheriff's department says you poked his eyes?"

Green: "No."

Green is now dealing with a potential black mark on his criminal record.

Citizen arrests are legal, but what is a little bit of a grey area is how much force a person can use while making the arrest.

Green had one misdemeanor arrest in 1997.

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