Woman bitten by K-9 files lawsuit against LA County Sheriff's Department

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A woman has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after she says her hand was permanently disfigured when she was bitten by a K-9.

Ramirez did not speak but she showed reporters her scars at a press conference outside the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A. Friday.

The incident happened on Feb. 22, 2023, at Ramirez's home near Central and 59th Street. Ramirez saw the dog wandering around her property and when she opened her door she was bitten.

"Ms. Ramirez is an innocent mother. She was attacked by an unleashed sheriff's dog trained to bite anyone it encountered," attorney Colleen Flynn said.

The Sheriff's Department said it hasn't received the lawsuit, but said an investigation was conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau. Those results have not yet been released.

The lawsuit calls for the department to stop using dogs as a tool to go after suspects.

"You don't want to use a tool like a dog. It's just not appropriate," said Thomas Barham, a retired L.A. County sheriff's lieutenant. "They inflict vicious injuries, and it's not proportional and a dog cannot exercise judgement. That's the bottom line."

Ramirez wants her case to go to trial and let a jury decided what damages, if any, should be given.