Boyes domestic dispute leads to possible charges against deputy

A domestic dispute call led to a suspect’s injury at the hands of a sheriff’s deputy, who has since left the force.|

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has requested an investigation into a deputy’s use of force against a suspect in response to a domestic dispute in the Boyes Hot Springs on Sept. 24. Charges against the suspect were not pursued by the District Attorney’s Office, but the incident has led to the deputy’s leaving the Sheriff’s Office upon review of video evidence from the incident.

Sheriff Steve Freitas identified the deputy as Scott Thorne, who left the job within about two weeks of the incident.

The incident began about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, when three deputies responded to a call from a neighbor about a loud argument in a Highland Avenue home. The woman who answered the door was taken aside and questioned by one deputy, per Sheriff’s Office protocol in domestic violence cases, while the other two located her husband locked in a back bedroom.

When the suspect, a 37-year-old Hispanic man, refused orders to come out, deputies forced open the door and found the man lying on a bed.

He resisted one of the deputy’s efforts to pull him up. Deputy Thorne deployed his Taser and, when that didn’t have the desired effect, struck the man on the leg with his baton. The second deputy became involved and the two attempted to restrain the man, who was still on the bed; hearing sounds of struggle, the third deputy came into the room to provide assistance.

The suspect broke free and began to run toward the bedroom door, whereupon the primary deputy struck him in the back several times with his baton. The man went down, and when the third deputy again Tasered him they were able to handcuff him.

The deputies’ inquiry on the scene determined that it had been a non-criminal domestic-related argument, with no evident physical violence. But the man was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries, after which he was transported and booked into Sonoma County Jail at 1:12 a.m. on charges of threatening an officer, resisting and obstructing an officer, and a battery on an officer. He was released on a $10,000 bail bond at 2:36 a.m. that same morning.

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, the District Attorney’s Office decided not to pursue the criminal charges, prompting an internal review of the incident which included examining the video from all the deputies’ body-worn cameras.

“Sheriff’s Administration felt that the actions of the primary deputy were excessive for the circumstances and were in violation of our use of force policy,” said Sgt. Spencer Crum of the Sheriff’s Office. “Our use of force policy specifically states that use of force by deputies must be reasonable and appropriate for every situation and in this case we felt this deputy’s use of force was excessive.”

At the request of the Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Rosa Police Department, along with the D.A’s office, is conducting the investigation. Results of that investigation will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office.

“This is an isolated incident that we are proactively addressing, and does not reflect the values of the Sheriff’s Office,” said Crum.

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