The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office reported today that a man tasered and handcuffed at the scene of an alleged domestic dispute “died in custody after a physical altercation with deputies” in a house on River Road in Santa Rosa.
The unidentified man was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency medical personnel.
It all began at about 8:12 am, with a report of two people fighting in a Dodge truck. According to the Sheriff’s report, a deputy responding to the possible domestic incident was flagged down by a community member in the 15600 block of River Road. The neighbor said he had heard a female screaming, “Someone help me” from inside a nearby home.
The deputy knocked on the front door. A woman, being held by a man, immediately asked for help.
At that point, the report states, “The deputy tried to separate the man from the woman, and a physical altercation ensued. A second deputy arrived and witnessed the physical altercation between the deputy and man. The second deputy used his taser to gain compliance and to stop the man from fighting them. The man continued physically resisting the deputies.
“After the deputies placed the man in handcuffs, he had a medical emergency. Deputies began life-saving measures and requested emergency medical personnel. Medical personnel arrived and pronounced the man dead at the scene.”
The Sheriff’s Office invoked the County’s critical incident protocol. The Santa Rosa Police Department is investigating the incident, and Marin County Coroner’s Office is conducting the death investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office said it will be doing an administrative review to determine if the deputies followed use-of-force policies. “Any time force is used, the Sheriff’s Office takes it seriously.”
The Santa Rosa Police Department will release more information as it becomes available.
Be First to Comment