Calfornia city awards $1m to woman after police dog bites her

The city of Brentwood, California, agreed to pay $967,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging excessive force by police. The lawsuit stemmed from a February 2020 incident where a police dog bit a woman during an arrest.

Talmika Bates was hiding in bushes when a police K-9 bit her head during the arrest. Bates was wanted for allegedly shoplifting from a makeup store. She required over 200 stitches and treatment for a head injury. Bates' attorneys say she was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We need to recognize that K-9s are dangerous, sometimes lethal, weapons that can cause life-altering damage or kill someone even when an officer is trying to get them to release and relent,” said civil rights attorney Adante Pointer. “Here we saw a trained K-9 handler stand by while his dog mauled an unarmed young lady who was surrendering.”

The settlement comes after a federal judge ruled that the amount of time the officer allowed his dog to bite Bates could be considered excessive force. Brentwood Police Chief Timothy Herbert said the city settled to avoid further litigation costs. He maintains that the officer lawfully deployed the K-9 and apprehended Bates.

(With sources from AP)