St. Paul to Pay $520K to Woman Attacked by Police Dog

ST. PAUL (AP) — The city of St. Paul will pay $520,000 to a woman who was attacked by a police dog as she was taking out her trash last year.

Attorneys for Desiree Collins said both sides agreed to the settlement on Thursday, after the City Council met a day earlier behind closed doors.

Collins was attacked on Sept. 23, 2017. The incident left her traumatized and unable to care for herself for days. According to a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Officer Thaddeus Schmidt had the dog on a 20-foot leash as he searched for two burglary suspects.

The dog latched on to Collins' left leg and then her right arm.

Last month a federal judge ruled that Schmidt's actions were "more than negligent" and violated Collins' constitutional rights.