BRENTWOOD, California — The city of Brentwood in Northern California has reached a settlement of approximately $1 million regarding a lawsuit that claimed police employed excessive force during the arrest of a woman. The lawsuit arose from an incident where a police K-9 dog severely injured the individual, resulting in significant medical trauma.

Talmika Bates will receive a total of $967,000 as part of this settlement, which was disclosed by her legal representatives on Friday. The incident occurred in February 2020 when Bates, who was being pursued on suspicion of shoplifting from a cosmetic store, found herself hiding in some bushes. During her attempt to surrender, a German Shepherd police dog bit into her scalp, leading to severe injuries.

As a result of the attack, Bates underwent intensive medical treatment, which included over 200 stitches, tissue rearrangement, and repairs for lacerations. Her legal counsel has indicated that she has been diagnosed with mild diffuse traumatic brain injury, mild post-traumatic brain syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder due to the incident.

Civil rights attorney Adante Pointer emphasized the dangers posed by K-9 units, stating, “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.” He added that the situation highlighted a failure on the part of the officer, who watched as his dog attacked Bates, a non-threatening individual who was surrendering.

This settlement follows a ruling from a federal judge who determined six months prior that the officer in question might have acted with excessive force, as the duration of time that the dog was allowed to bite Bates could be interpreted by a jury as unreasonable.

Brentwood Police Chief Timothy Herbert commented that the city and its insurers decided to settle the case to prevent the expenses associated with further litigation and potential appeals. He stated, “The lone claim by Ms. Bates in this litigation was excessive force per the Fourth Amendment. The District Court ruled that Officer Rezentes lawfully deployed his canine in the search for the suspects and had the right to use the canine to apprehend Ms. Bates under the Fourth Amendment.”

Additionally, Chief Herbert mentioned that the Brentwood Police Department does not currently have any functioning K-9 units.