[Hambone]

Woman Charged In Kiss Gone Wrong

Jun 17, 2004 7:21 am US/Central
St. Paul (AP) A woman accused of biting her boyfriend in the midst of a kiss appears unlikely to get off with a mere tongue-lashing.

Pamela D. Johnson, 43, was charged on Thursday with first-degree assault -- a felony -- after she allegedly bit off the front third of her boyfriend's tongue.

According to the criminal complaint, Johnson told police she "bit down a little too hard" when her boyfriend kissed her after an argument early Wednesday.

She also told police she became frightened when he squeezed her too tightly. She added that she had been victimized by men in the past.

The 47-year-old victim was treated at Regions Hospital, where a medical exam showed that the front one-third of his tongue was missing.

The couple had been drinking in her apartment. Johnson later told police she didn't remember what happened to the tongue fragment.

After the biting, Johnson and the man began walking to the hospital. When they reached a burger joint, paramedics were called.

Officers went to Johnson's apartment to look for the piece of tongue, but didn't find it. The woman said she might have swallowed it.

The felony charge could result in jail time. Jack Rhodes, chief of staff for Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, said the serious charge was called for in the law.

"It is because of the fact that it involves great bodily harm," he said. "We are talking about a substantial part of the man's tongue being severed."

He said there was no indication that the victim wanted prosecutors to drop the case.

Johnson did not have an attorney as of early Thursday afternoon, a Gaertner spokeswoman said.

[Banana]

The writing in that article is fantastic. "When they reached a burger joint...." Very professional.

Victimized by men in the past......don't get me started on this BS. I hate that excuse. Especially in this story.