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Case Of Dog Poop Cleaning Mistaken For Burglary In Appeals

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A lawsuit involving a well-known Native American artist who was cleaning up dog poop in his car but was mistaken for a burglar by Santa Fe police remains in court.

 

US-POLITICS-BREITBART-PROTEST
A boy holds a poo emoticon balloon as he joins his parents protesting against Breitbart News and what the protestors describe as the media company's propaganda for the Trump administration, March 12, 2017 outside the Breitbart office in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, California. The scores of protesters were met by an even smaller group of pro-Trump counter-protesters who defended the news site. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

 

The Albuquerque Journal reports Mateo Romero's case now is before the New Mexico Court of Appeals over public records and police immunity from liability.

 

'The Magnificent Seven' Premiere - 73rd Venice Film Festival
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 10: A worker cleans horse dung off the red carpet of the premiere of "The Magnificent Seven' during the 73rd Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 10, 2016 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

 

Romero filed a lawsuit alleging the violation of his constitutional rights in 2014 that he says began when his Shih Tzu defecated in his car. Romero told The Associated Press a Santa Fe officer pointed a rifle at him during the bizarre misunderstanding.

 

Shih Tzu half-breed dog Ben jumps out of
Shih Tzu half-breed dog Ben jumps out of a little shopping cart on 07 September 2005 in Markkleeberg near Leipzig, eastern Germany. The dog performed the show to promote the International Pedigree Dog's Breeding Fair taking place on 10 and 11 September. AFP PHOTO DDP/SEBASTIAN WILLNOW GERMANY OUT (Photo credit should read SEBASTIAN WILLNOW/AFP/Getty Images)

 

Last year, a judge ruled an officer's belt recorder showed the officer acted properly.

However, officials had told Romero's lawyer no belt recording existed.

 

China's Guide Dog Training Center
DALIAN, CHINA - JANUARY 24: A Trainer cleans up the Guide dog's feces in China Guide Dog Training Center on January 24th, 2018 in Dalian, Liaoning province, China. DALIAN, CHINA - JANUARY 24: (CHINA OUT) Fenghongying 48, of Chinese,who is legally blind,her is training with Guide Dog in China Guide Dog Training Center on January 24th, 2018 in Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Since the first guide dog was in service in 2006, the number of China's guide dogs has reached 182, of which 140 guide dogs have been trained at the Dalian Medical University's guide dog base, and 36 have been trained by Shanghai disabled persons' Federation, and 6 Guangzhou guided dogs have been trained in the South demonstration base. There are 17 million people with visual impairment in China. Not all blind people are suitable for guide dogs. Blind people who apply for guide dogs should not only have the ability to locate, but also live in a suitable environment for the life of large guide dogs.The training period of the guide dog is more than one year, and the cost is over 150 thousand RMB. Part of the funding is from the government and social donations, and blind people apply for guide dogs for free. (Photo by Wang He/Getty Images)

 

Mateo is an award-winning painter whose work has been exhibited in Canada and the United States.

 

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