State High Court Affirms Rulings on Police Dogs
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Two men who say they were victims of excessive force when they were pursued and bitten by Orange County police dogs lost an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
The court Monday let stand rulings that threw out the civil rights lawsuits against Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and their city police departments.
Lawyers for Thomas Shannon and Craig Brooks had argued police should not be shielded from being sued if they “knowingly use weapons--police dogs--to injure people” unnecessarily.
Shannon was bitten repeatedly during a struggle with a police dog after he fled authorities who spotted him running red lights and speeding the night of June 25, 1991. He suffered bites on his arms and neck, wounds that required surgery and a skin graft.
Brooks was arrested by Irvine police for drunk driving and auto theft June 25, 1991. He escaped, and a Santa Ana officer and his dog were called in to help search for Brooks.
When the dog found Brooks, a struggle lasted about 15 seconds. Brooks was bitten on the thigh and buttocks.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, however, that the use of the police dog was reasonable in both cases.
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