Sonoma deputies probe death of cuffed man
A handcuffed man died while being arrested in Guerneville on Saturday after a confrontation with sheriff ’s deputies, authorities said.
The incident occurred when deputies responded to a report of a domestic problem at 8:12 a.m. possibly involving a fight inside a gray 3500 Dodge truck in the Hacienda Bridge area of the unincorporated community, authorities said. The truck was last seen headed west on River Road, they said.
One of the deputies responding to that area was flagged down by a resident on the 15600 block of River Road and told of a woman screaming, “Someone help me,” from inside a home, sheriff ’s officials said. The deputy then knocked on the door, and a woman and man walked out. Sheriff ’s officials said “she immediately asked for help.”
Sheriff ’s officials said the deputy tried separating the man from the woman — whom authorities said he was “holding onto” — and a “physical altercation ensued.” Another deputy arrived and deployed a Taser toward the man, but sheriff ’s officials said the man continued to resist arrest. Sheriff ’s officials did not clarify whether the man was actually tased and, if so, how many times.
“After the deputies placed the man in handcuffs, he had a medical emergency,” sheriff ’s officials said in a statement.
It is not clear what type of medical emergency the man experienced. Authorities said deputies began lifesaving measures until medical personnel responded, but paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. His identity was not disclosed, pending notification of family.
Neither the woman nor the deputies involved suffered lifethreatening injuries or required hospitalization.
The Santa Rosa Police Department is investigating the incident, and the Marin County Coroner’s Office is conducting a death investigation.
Santa Rosa Police Lt. Dan Marincik said officials are still in the early stages of the investigation, and they hope to release more details in the coming days.
“We are still in the process of going over video, obtaining witness and involved statements, and collecting other relevant evidence,” he said.
In a statement, the Sheriff ’s Office said it will conduct an administrative review to determine whether the deputies followed policies.
Any time force is used, the Sheriff ’s Office takes it seriously,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with all those involved in this incident during this difficult time.”