CHARLESTON – A police dog mauled an innocent woman after a toddler accidentally unlocked a patrol vehicle while playing with a remote device that belonged to a deputy, a lawsuit alleges.

Amy Ball and her husband were walking to lunch in December when a Charleston County Sheriff’s Office K-9 jumped out of a patrol vehicle and “immediately brutally attacked,” the then-66-year-old woman, according to a lawsuit.

The accusations it levies contain the first publicly released details about what potentially led up to the accidental dog bite. The sheriff’s office released a sparse incident report and brief statement at the time, but has since declined to provide additional information.

The lawsuit alleges Deputy Matthew Anderson was eating lunch with family or friends at the Casa Fiesta Mexi

See Full Page