City of Sacramento pays $175,000 settlement to man attacked by police K9 inside home
The city of Sacramento paid a $175,000 settlement to a Sacramento family after a police K9 allegedly attacked a man in their home in 2019.
In May 2019, a family was in their North Sacramento home when Sacramento police officers knocked on the door asking to search the backyard for a suspect who had exited a stolen vehicle,
One of the family members allowed the officers access to the backyard through the garage, but instead of going into the backyard, Officer Joshua Dobson allowed his police K9 to enter the house without permission or warning, and followed the dog inside, the lawsuit said.
The dog approached Cheng Saeteurn, who was sitting at a desk working on a computer, and bit his right arm, which is his dominant arm, in multiple spots, the lawsuit said.
As a result of the injuries, Saeteurn suffered neurological damage and was unable to work as a ride share driver and also unable to attend his college classes for a significant period of time, the lawsuit said. Saeteurn suffers from a pre-existing chronic inflammatory condition, which exacerbated the injuries and made treatment more difficult, the lawsuit said.
“Cheng’s family suffered from fright, shock and horror when they heard Cheng’s screams,” the lawsuit said. “After the date of the incident, Cheng’s family continued to suffer from worry, anxiety and lasting anguish from the incident.”
In a statement, city spokesman Tim Swanson said the settlement agreement was “fair and reasonable.”
“As part of its commitment to fairness, justice and its residents, the City of Sacramento applies due diligence to every case it is involved in to determine the right legal response and best path forward,” Swanson said in an email.
The Sacramento Bee obtained the settlement agreement from a California Public Records Act request.
The lawsuit claimed violations of individual liability/4th Amendment, negligent infliction of emotional stress, trespassing, and the Bane Civil Rights Act. It named the city and Dobson as defendants.
As of April, Dobson was still employed by the department as a police lieutenant, according to a list of city employees obtained by The Bee through a Public Records Act request.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 5:25 AM.
