Black Woman’s Scalp Torn Off By Police K-9 During Violent Arrest, Body Cam Footage Shows
Talkmika Bates’ scalp was reportedly torn off by a Brentwood, California Police Department K-9 after she was accused of shoplifting in February 2020. Now, newly-released police body-camera footage is giving the public a view of the harrowing incident.
This week, the footage was released and shows Bates crying for help as police attempt to detain her in a wooded area.
“The dog is biting me!” Bates shouts in the video. Another clip shows her crying and screaming to her mother on the phone.
“Mama, my whole brain is bleeding, mama,” she says.
According to KABC, Bates admitted to shoplifting from the Brentwood Ultra Beauty store on February 10, 2020. Security camera footage obtained by the news station shows her and two other suspects stealing loads of perfume from the store. The report claimed the trio stole nearly $10,000 worth of products.
After allegedly fleeing the scene, the young woman got into a high-speed chase with police before the three women ditched the car to escape. Eventually, authorities and the search dog found Bates hiding in a bush, which is where the attack began.
“I just feel something attacking me, like paws on my back, then I start feeling rips from the scalp here, here, here and teeth grinding,” Bates told KABC in an interview. “I thought I was going to die, I really did,” she continued. “No warning, no come out with your hands up, that would have been better for me, take me to jail.”
The Brentwood Police Officers Association is defending the attack and arrest, claiming their use of the police K-9 was legal and within the standard protocol, according to Yahoo! News.
Surgeons were able to reattach Bates’ scalp, but she still reportedly has a long road to recovery. She says the damage done to her has led to “nightmares, memory loss, and depression.”
“I want the dog to be laid down, I want him to be fired, I want justice,” she said to the news station, further noting she plans on suing the officer and the city over the incident.
