The Polk County Attorney's office in Iowa has dropped charges against two women who filed a complaint against a deputy after a confrontation that took place on a recreational biking trail in June of 2012. Cathy Olson and Lisa Schaa had to go through a three hour mediation to come to an agreement and have the tickets issued by the deputy expunged in late September.

Olson and Schaa were accused of running a stop sign at the High Trestle Trail near Sheldahl, Iowa, and Olson was also charged with failing to obey an officer's orders.

Olson Criticizes Sheriff's Office Following Mediation Services

Both of the women claim that the officer involved was bullying them by acting in an aggressive nature which they believed to be unprovoked and unnecessary. Olson said that she is satisfied with the charges being dropped in the mediation services. However, she is not satisfied with not knowing if the officer was disciplined following the complaint she filed with the sheriff's office.

Olsen stated “I have heard nothing about the response to our concerns about his behavior on the trail and how frightening and irrational we thought it was.”

She also said she was “treated like a criminal” and “bullied” by other sheriff’s officials when she filed the complaint. Polk County Sgt. Jana Rooker said that she could not comment on the incident but if the women had not heard anything about disciplinary action being taken against Deputy Dale Peterson, the officer in question, they will at a later date.

Mediation Lawyers Worked Pro Bono

Olson's mediation attorney, Patrick Wilson, said that he was not at all shocked that his client's charges were dropped because the women had stopped at the stop sign and hadn't broken any laws. Both of the mediation lawyers present at the hearing worked pro bono and the women's legal expenses will be handled at the state's expense.

After the mediation, Olson stated that the experience with the belligerent officer has ruined cycling for her and that every time she gets on her bike she is reminded of the incident. Schaa said that she will no longer ride her bike on the trail where the incident occurred.