A woman who shoplifted thousands of dollars in cosmetics has received a nearly $1 million payout from a Northern California community after a police dog bit and tore at her scalp while officers attempted to apprehend her.
In a statement, Timothy Herbert, the chief of police in Brentwood, eastern Contra Costa County, backed the officer who handled the dog that day, stating his actions were lawful. According to the chief, the city chose to settle the lawsuit to avoid future litigation and legal costs.
Brentwood officials agreed to compensate Talmika Bates $967,000 for the 2020 incident that left the then-24-year-old woman with severe dog bites and gashes on her head.
“Oh, my God, please get your dog,” Bates screams in body camera footage of the incident, as Brentwood Police Officer Ryan Rezentes pulls on the dog’s leash. “My whole skin is off.”
According to the original complaint, Brentwood police were dispatched to Ulta Beauty Supply, a cosmetics business, on February 10, 2020, after an employee reported three ladies shoplifting various products.
According to Brentwood police, Bates, who was on probation, and two other women stole $10,000 in items from the store before fleeing by automobile. Officers attempted to halt the vehicle, but the driver collided with their patrol car, and the three women attempted to flee on foot.
Officers discovered Bates hiding in a field behind bushes.
According to the lawsuit, Rezentes unleashed his K-9, a German shepherd named Marco, on Bates without first warning her or providing her the opportunity to surrender.
According to the lawsuit, the dog bit and gnawed on Bates’ scalp while ignoring attempts by Bates and Rezentes to stop the attack.
“Officer Rezentes had to physically remove the dog from Ms. Bates’ head,” the complaint states.
Attorneys representing Bates claim Rezentes lost control of the dog, which bit off sections of Bates’ scalp and refused directions to heel.
During the confrontation, another officer stood next to Rezentes with his gun drawn, attempting to soothe him, according to body-worn camera footage.
“Don’t worry, I won’t shoot your dog,” he is heard saying.
After a minute, the two cops told Bates to stand up, handcuffed her, and reprimanded her for fleeing.
“As she emerged from the bushes, the assembled Officers could see large chunks of Ms. Bates’ scalp were ripped from her head, exposing bone and tissue,” the accusation said.
Surgeons reattached Bates’ scalp, but the lawsuit claims she now suffers from migraines, memory loss, and melancholy as a result of the incident.
Bates’ attorneys did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
When asked for response, Rezentes’ attorneys pointed to the police chief’s remarks.
Bates pled guilty to misdemeanor grand theft and resisting a police officer, according to court documents.
Attorneys representing Bates said Rezentes lied in his police report, stating he did not have cover from another officer to safely recall the dog as it was attacking Bates.
Herbert supported the officer’s actions in his speech, citing a court ruling that the officer had legitimately deployed the dog to search for the suspects.
Herbert stated that his police had no means of knowing if Bates was armed, and that she had disregarded their demands to surrender.
The court, however, ruled that there was potential responsibility for the duration of the dog’s attack.
Herbert stated that the police agency currently does not have any working canines.
Source: Shoplifter injured by police dog gets nearly $1-million settlement from Northern California city
