Melissa Silva, 42, was injured in a dog attack near Levi Stadium in Santa Clara when a police dog that was off-leash rushed her and bit her. According to a KTVU news report, Silva was walking with her dog when she ventured into a soccer field.
That’s when the police dog attacked her. Her left arm sustained multiple puncture wounds during her transport to a local hospital. She was released from the hospital but may need surgery and physical therapy.
Dog Bite Incident
Santa Clara police said the public city park soccer field was not open then and that the officer was doing “off-leash training with his dog.”
Officials said Silva and her dog “unexpectedly entered the facility through the closed and latched gate.” Silva said she was in shock after the dog attack. She said she had never seen the officer or his dog before the attack.
Silva said she was trying to protect her dog from a mauling by swinging it by its leash when the police dog turned on her. She said it took around 45 seconds for the officer to pry the dog’s jaws off her arm as she bled profusely.
KTVU notes that the city of Santa Clara says on its website that the youth soccer field where the dog attack occurred is open from 6 a.m. to about half an hour after sunset “unless otherwise noted at the park entrance.”
Why Police Dog Bites Are Dangerous
The Marshall Project, which investigated police dog attacks, found that bites by police dogs could potentially cause life-altering injuries or even deaths. This is because the dogs used by police officers are trained to exert enough strength to punch through sheet metal.
Their bites could resemble shark attacks, according to experts and medical researchers. When they attack people, they can leave harrowing scars and torn muscles, leading to dangerous infections.
In an attack by a police dog in California, a woman’s scalp was torn off. In Colorado, a police dog damaged a man’s vocal cords; in Arizona, a man’s face was ripped off.
Justice for Dog Bite Victims
Negligent dog owners are not always prosecuted. They may not face criminal charges or even citations. However, they may face civil liability for the injuries and damages their pet has caused.
Under California’s strict liability statute, dog owners can be held financially responsible for dog attacks, regardless of the animal’s history of prior aggression. Injured victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Los Angeles dog bite attorney who will fight for their rights and ensure that they are fairly compensated and that the dog owner is held accountable.
Source: https://www.ktvu.com/news/woman-hospitalized-in-unprovoked-attack-by-santa-clara-police-k9
