South L.A. woman wants end to K-9 units after vicious attack

A South Los Angeles woman has filed a lawsuit and is demanding the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department disband its K-9 unit after she was attacked by one of their dogs.

Rosa Ramirez, 45, suffered permanent injuries to her left hand — her dominant hand — during the attack, her attorneys said in a news conference on Friday.

At about 9 p.m. on Feb. 22, 2023, deputies were searching for a wanted person near Ramirez's home, and she opened her door to speak with a deputy who wanted entry to the residence.

During that conversation, a dog, which she estimated to be 50 to 65 pounds, attacked her, crushing her left hand, she said.

"The department has tolerated these dogs inflicting disfiguring, disabling, life-changing injuries. They have ripped of parts of people's faces, parts of people's noses, torn [them] apart," said attorney Colleen Flynn. "The injuries that Ms. Ramirez suffered are typical of the types of injuries inflicted by police dogs."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department did not respond to KTLA's request for comment on the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday.