(FOX40.COM) — A Yuba County woman says she was accidentally bit by a Yuba County K-9 while it was on the hunt for suspects involved in the murder of a 19-year-old man.
“We can confirm that a civilian sustained an injury from one of our canines as deputies were investigating a Thursday Evening Homicide,” said the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office.
Myra Riddle said she was outside her apartment complex when she became the target of a police dog. She knew something was wrong when she saw the presence of law enforcement nearby and three young adults walking down North Beale Road so she decided to head inside.
It was too late when she headed indoors because Riddle said the dog came running from around the corner. Around the same time, she heard an officer yell “stop,” but didn’t hear anything about a K-9 on the loose. She said the dog attacked her instead of pursuing the suspects.
“It happened so fast, that it happened in slow motion,” Riddle said. “I thought police dogs normally go for an arm or a leg, but this dog latched on to my stomach and I ended up going down to the ground.”
Riddle said the dog jumped up and bit her in the stomach for what seemed like an eternity and wouldn’t let go despite an officer’s command to release her. She reported that the bites were nearly an inch deep and that she spent hours at a nearby hospital getting treatment.
Riddle said she hopes the K-9 receives additional training and said the officer apologized for the incident.
