Marysville woman accidentally attacked by Yuba County deputy's K-9 during chase of homicide suspect
MARYSVILLE - A Marysville woman is speaking out after she says a Yuba County Sheriff's K-9 accidentally attacked her while deputies were chasing a suspect.
Terrifying moments for Myra Riddle as she says she still feels the pain from the K-9 attack and is still shaken from the whole ordeal.
"I saw the dog come right around the corner, and he went right for my stomach," Riddle said.
A K-9 deputy accidentally attacked her during a pursuit Friday. An incident she said she could never have imagined it happening to her.
"When I fell to the ground, the officer, I remembered him lunging for the dog, and he was saying the command, but the dog wouldn't release," she said. "I was just shaking," Riddle said. "I couldn't stop shaking."
Yuba County deputies were investigating a homicide of a 19-year-old male Thursday night.
On Friday, a pursuit unfolded, leading them to the Casa Del Este Apartment, chasing a possible murder suspect.
That's where Riddle was outside of her home when the chase led to her doorstep.
"The kid – long blonde hair, red sweatshirt – comes running through here," she said. "As he went by, the dog came right here, stopped at the pillar, looked at me, and jumped on me."
Riddle said she fell to the ground. Bruises from the fall are on her knee, and bite marks are still fresh on her stomach.
"It was a minute or two when the dog before the dog actually let go," she said.
She said the deputy released the K-9; however, they did not announce the release of the K-9.
"There was no warning. He ran through, the dog came and got me," Riddle said.
Riddle was taken to Adventist Health and Rideout Hospital and discharged several hours later.
"Yes, unfortunately, as deputies were attempting to apprehend our homicide suspect, our canine deployment accidentally resulted in the injury of a civilian," the Yuba County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
"I'm glad they confirmed it," Riddle said.
She said the deputy apologized for what happened, but the encounter still damaged her.
"My wife was in such shock that when they were walking me to the ambulance, she commented that we're going to contact a lawyer," Riddle said.
She is thankful that it was she who was attacked and not her wife, who currently has a medical condition, and her friend, who was with her when the attack happened.
When CBS13 reached out to the Yuba County Sheriff's Office for more information, it said it couldn't provide any other details or answer any questions.