SACRAMENTO, CA – Salvador Garcia, Jr., who was attacked by a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office police dog while riding his bike, received $755,000 in a settlement from the county, reports the Sacramento Bee.
Garcia’s arm was “severely injured by a sheriff’s canine in 2022 near the Cyprus Village Apartment Complex on Marconi Avenue near Watt Avenue in Arden Arcade, wrote the Sacramento Bee, noting that Kim Nava, the county spokesperson, affirmed that the settlement “was approved by the Board of Supervisors.”
The incident occurred, said the Bee, when Garcia was riding his bike near the apartment complex, and Deputy Dylan Black ordered him to stop, telling Garcia, “You’re going to get bit by my dog, homie.”
Garcia turned his bike to stop at the officer’s command but fell, and then, reported the Bee, Garcia shared in his complaint the deputy “released the dog and used a command in Dutch that means ‘bite,’” allegedly commanding the canine to attack.
The complaint stated the canine had “damaged Garcia’s arm badly enough to require reconstructive surgery and a hospital stay,” and the deputy allegedly tried to handcuff Garcia even as the dog continued to bite his arm. Other deputies failed to provide immediate medical aid, added the Bee.
The complaint noted the Sheriff’s Office investigation concluded that Black had acted within the scope of the law, because the office had received a complaint alleging Garcia broke a window at his ex-girlfriend’s residence, said the Bee.