BRENTWOOD, Calif. (KRON) - A federal civil rights lawsuit alleging excessive force has been filed against a Brentwood police officer.
It stems from a shoplifting incident two years ago that ended with the plaintiff being chased down by what the woman's attorneys call a "bloodthirsty" K9 that mauled her.
The woman eventually pled guilty and served time for the crime but it should not have resulted in her almost losing her life.
Talmika Bates was 24-years-old when this happened two years ago and at the time, she wasn't clear she would be alive today to tell her story.
“I seen death. I feel like if I wasn't on the phone with her, I would have died. I would have closed my eyes,” Bates said.
Bates called her mother on the phone while Brentwood police K9 Marco sunk his teeth into her skull on Feb. 10, 2020.
In a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on her behalf Tuesday against Marco's handler, Officer Ryan Rezentes and other unnamed officers possibly involved.
The complaint seeks money for damages, claims:
"In violation of his training and the law, Officer Ryan Rezentes inexplicably sicc'd Marco on the unsuspecting and unarmed young lady without providing any warning or a reasonable opportunity to surrender."
"They didn't have to do all that because I was unarmed. It ain't like I robbed somebody,” Bates said.
Instead, the lawsuit states police were responding to reports of three young women shoplifting expensive cosmetic items from a store.
Bates admits to being one of them and was found by police in a field nearby hiding in a bush.
That's when her attorney, Adante Pointer, says Marco was commanded to attack. Pointer says the video proves the dog was unhinged, out of control, ignoring Rezentes' delayed commands to stop.
“Once the dog started attacking and gnawing and clawing at Ms. Bates's scalp, the dog was in the throes of a blood lust,” Pointer said.
Bates was eventually pulled from the bushes, and taken to John Muir Medical Center. Surgeons were able to reattach her scalp.
She pled guilty to the shoplifting charge and served time in jail.
She is now home in Oakland, where she is back in school but says she is still haunted by the mauling.
The police department's website shows Officer Rezentes and Marco are still out in the field.
"Yes, it looks like, to me, what you would imagine and what you've seen in movies and documentaries as it relates to the way in which slave catchers would unleash these vicious animals on Black people,” Pointer said.
"I'm very blessed that I can tell this story and that my mom don't have to be on here trying to explain what happened to me,” Bates said.
Neither the city or the police department responded to KRON4’s direct questions for comment on this story.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/nWHQGvy
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