Won a $1.1 million verdict for a 62-year-old man who was attacked by a police canine while he was inside a fenced construction site at night with his 73-year-old friend, trying to rescue her cat. San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Laughlin ordered his police canine “Riggs” to attack Plaintiff Richard May without proper warning, while May was standing out in the open waiting for officers to walk up and talk with him. Plaintiff’s injuries took over a year to heal. Later, while Plaintiff was under arrest receiving treatment at the hospital, Deputy Laughlin stuck a sticker on Plaintiff’s chest that said, “I Met Riggs” and took a trophy photo of Plaintiff. The jury also found that Deputy Laughlin acted with malice, oppression, or in reckless disregard of the Plaintiff’s rights, and assessed punitive damages against the deputy in the amount of $100,000.
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