The City of Brentwood, California, has agreed to pay $967,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Talmika Bates, a Black woman who suffered catastrophic injuries when a police dog mauled her during an arrest in 2019.

The attack left her with lasting physical and emotional scars, including traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, Atlanta Black Star reports.

Bates, unarmed and hiding in bushes, was attacked by the K-9, Marco, after being involved in a shoplifting case that escalated into a police pursuit. Bodycam footage revealed that Marco bit Bates’ head, tearing off part of her scalp and causing severe injuries while she screamed for help.

The dog remained latched on for over a minute as Bates pleaded with officers to intervene. She later required surgery and over 200 stitches to repair the damage, with ongoing issues including headaches, memory loss, and nightmares.

Her attorneys argued the officer, Michael Rezentes, violated Bates’ Fourth Amendment rights by failing to give a warning before deploying the dog and delaying its removal despite Bates’ surrender. A federal judge ruled the initial use of the dog was justified but questioned the prolonged attack.

Brentwood Police Chief Timothy Herbert said the settlement aimed to avoid further litigation costs. The involved officer has since retired, and the city no longer uses police dogs. Bates’ attorney, Adanté Pointer, called for better accountability, stating, “Using a dog to exact street justice doesn’t make the abuse of someone’s civil rights any better.”