Four years after a K-9 officer snarled at her, inflicting her with severe injuries to her scalp, a California lady received over $1 million after settling with the Brentwood Police Department.
According to a news release issued by Talmika Bates’ lawyers on November 15, the lawsuit against Brentwood Police Officer Ryan Rezentes claimed that Bates’ cries for the release of the 85-pound German Shepherd police dog Marco were disregarded, and that the assault left her bloody, mangled, and with large portions of her scalp missing. She was diagnosed with minor traumatic brain injury and PTSD, and she needed surgery to heal her scalp. According to a statement by her lawyers, Bates received $967,000 from the city of Brentwood.
According to a statement from Brentwood Police Chief Timothy Herbert, the settlement was reached in order to prevent additional litigation and appeal expenses.
In February 2020, Bates and two other people were suspected of stealing almost $10,000 worth of goods from a nearby Ulta Beauty store. The trio allegedly crashed into a Brentwood Police vehicle while from the scene in a getaway car, then made their departure on foot. When Ryan Rezentes, a K-9 officer who was not on duty at the time, was requested to assist with the search, he spotted Bates hiding in a bush with his German dog, Marco. After that, Marco continued to bite Bates’ head until Rezentes forcibly stopped him.
On-body videoAs the police ordered her to put down the phone and leave the scene, Bates, who had contacted her mother during the experience, could be heard sobbing and shouting. A portion of her scalp had been torn off when she eventually came out.
The lawsuit claims that although Marco is trained to execute a verbal out, which is an instant release upon Rezentes’s command, Rezentes does not use verbal outs in actual deployments. Rezentes ordered Marco to heel. Marco is trained to bite and grip the first portion of the body he contacts, but police canines are not trained to bite a suspect’s head or neck.
Additionally, according to the complaint, Rezentes failed to give Bates a canine warning before to giving her the opportunity to surrender. While pursuing the suspect, the dog was held on a six-foot leash, and he did not order Marco to bite. The bodycam footage showed Bates yelling, “Get the dog off!” after Marco had gone into the bushes. According to the complaint, Bates was pulled backwards onto the ground by Marco, who bit the back of her head after approaching from behind.
Bates can be heard sobbing while still speaking to her mother on the phone: “My whole brain, Mama, the dog, my whole brain, Mama, and my whole brain is bleeding.”
Rezentes finally ordered Marco to release him. Bates emerged from the bush, clearly unarmed, and got to her feet with the help of other cops.
Bates’s scalp was so badly damaged that her skull was visible. She was released later that day after undergoing surgical tissue realignment and laceration repair, according to the complaint. Her problems persisted, including stuttering, short-term memory, attention, concentration, multitasking, information processing, ringing in her ears, dizziness, vertigo, severe and frequent headaches, and light sensitivity. She also claimed to have nightmares and feel depressed. She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, mild diffuse traumatic brain damage, and mild post-traumatic brain syndrome.
The length of time Rezentes permitted Marco to bite Bates could be seen as excessive force, according to a federal judge’s ruling prior to the settlement. The same judge also decided that Rezentes may use Marco to make an arrest even though he was not on duty.
Bates entered a no contest plea to misdemeanor grand theft and resisting arrest. Rezentes left the department upon retirement. There aren’t any K-9 officers on duty at the Brentwood Police Department right now.
Do you have a tip we ought to know?[email protected]
Note: Thank you for visiting our website! We strive to keep you informed with the latest updates based on expected timelines, although please note that we are not affiliated with any official bodies. Our team is committed to ensuring accuracy and transparency in our reporting, verifying all information before publication. We aim to bring you reliable news, and if you have any questions or concerns about our content, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
Leave a Reply