Officer-Involved Deaths in Sonoma County Since 2000 Totals a Minimum of 72 (updated 5/1/19)
(72) Seventy Two people have died within Sonoma County while local Law Enforcement Officers were involved since 2000. This includes deaths caused by firearm, use of Taser and/or other “less-than-lethal” weapons, suicide, violent struggle, and (30) of these deaths are in-custody deaths, not directly attributed to the actions of law enforcement or detention personnel. All of these fatalities are to be investigated per the provisions of the “Law Enforcement Employee-Involved Fatal Incident Protocol” of the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chiefs Association. This list encompasses the period of January 10, 2000 to June 30, 2018. Calendar years 2012 and 2016 are the only years since 2000 that no person has died during an officer-involved fatality in the county. None of the investigations in any case in which the protocol has been invoked has resulted in a finding of wrongdoing on the part of any law enforcement officer.
(15) Fifteen additional people died within Sonoma County while local Law Enforcement Officers were present during the period of April 1, 1995 to March 10, 1998 under similar circumstances.
At that time, the United States Civil Rights Commission visited Sonoma County and recommended in 2000 that Civilian Police Review Boards be established in Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Rohnert Park. Nineteen years and seventy two deaths later, we have only a barebones “independent review” system for the Sheriff’s Office. The City of Santa Rosa briefly hired an “independent auditor”, but subsequently forced him out when he became critical of city government. They have subsequently raised the hiring qualifications to an almost impossible standard, and as a result, currently have no independent audit. No other municipalities in the county have independent review of their police.
Each of these deaths is verifiable in the Press Democrat and San Francisco Chronicle archives, or in the Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury Annual Report “Critical Incident Reports” sections. The Grand Jury no longer reviews critical incidents.
Dozens of people have been shot, Tasered, and assaulted by police and deputies during this period, but those cases are not investigated by “outside” agencies under the current protocol. The following are brief, subjective anecdotal reports of friends, family, and witnesses of the deaths of these people as they have been variously reported by law enforcement press releases, local media and from within the community.
Deep and heartfelt condolences and thank yous to the families that have participated in and contributed to this work in whatever ways that they have been able, despite the desperate situations with which they have been presented.
2000
1. Phillip Tony Medina -48- Died January 7, 2000 - just hours after being moved to a hospital from the Sonoma County Jail. Jail officials say Medina died of the flu, but hospital records show that by the time he was admitted Medina already had infection throughout his body and organs were beginning to fail.
2. James William Curran –51- Died March 19, 2000 - in handcuffs after Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies responded to an early morning call of a man behaving strangely. Deputies claim they handcuffed Curran in order to prevent him from hurting himself.
3. Erin Colleen McDonald -31- Died April 10, 2000 - after being shot five times by Windsor Police Officers who broke into her home after she had called them for help during a psychotic episode.
4. Todd Eugene Dieterle -37- Died May 4, 2000 - after being fired at 13 times and shot seven times by Santa Rosa Police and the Santa Rosa Junior College Police after they were told that he had robbed a convenience store with a painted plastic squirt gun.
5. Robert Francisco Camacho -35- Died May 4, 2000 - after being shot 5 times outside his home by Rohnert Park Police during an armed battle. His wife had recently sought mental health treatment for her husband but was told he could not be involuntarily committed unless he was a danger to himself or others.
6. Barry Alan Rogers –45- Died July 19, 2000 - in Sonoma County Jail (Sheriff's Dept.) after six days of in jail, apparently a suicide. Inmates interviewed said that Barry was distressed and disoriented when he was incarcerated and asked for mental health attention. Soon after he arrived in the jail, Rogers' mother died, which certainly should have alerted jail officials to put him on suicide watch, which was not done. Some jail employees admit Rogers' death was due to a "classification error."
7. Paul R. Daniel –51- Died September 28, 2000 - in Sonoma County Jail. The official story: when found on the cell floor by deputies, Daniel "became combative and had to be restrained." He was then taken to booking where he began vomiting and died soon after. Inmates tell another story -- that overwhelmingly, inmates inside think Daniel was beaten to death. Whether or not this proves to be true, the fact that the inmates think it's true makes the jail a very dangerous place for inmates and correctional officers alike. The fact that, in the face of an inconclusive autopsy Daniel's brain was sent off for further study, and that correctional officers involved are refusing to cooperate with Santa Rosa police officers investigating the death only raise the suspicion level.
2001
8. Carey Steinberg Baron -23- Died April 8, 2001 - in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility, reportedly by hanging himself with shoelaces in a bathroom. His family stated that he was doing well for the first time in his life and couldn’t think of a reason that he would kill himself.
9. Unidentified Person –Age Unknown- Died July 21, 2001 –in custody. The 2001 – 2002 Sonoma County Grand Jury Critical Incident Report referenced this death, but no trace of this person’s death could be found in local media.
10. Patrick McLoughlin -19- Died October 23, 2001 - when he turned a gun on himself after exchanging gunfire with Petaluma Police following a failed marijuana heist at a Petaluma home.
2002
11. Luis Solario Gonzalez – 23- Died February 28, 2002 – in the back of a Sheriff’s patrol car, in what was determined by the Sheriff- Coroner to be a drug overdose while in custody.
12. Thomas John Connelly -49- Died May 8, 2002 - while in custody in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility. Connelly was found hanged in his cell with a sheet four days after he was booked at the jail. He was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.
2003
13. Serena Roxanne Case -32- Died January 16, 2003 – of an apparent drug overdose while in custody. Case was the eighth jail inmate to die in six years, four by suicide and four by drug overdoses.
14. Keith Thompson Suite -42- Died April 8, 2003 – After being in a coma for 10 months following a heart attack suffered as he was being forcibly removed from a cell at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
15. Seth Micah Warde -22- Died July 10, 2003- after being pulled over by CHP officer for speeding. The officer’s report claimed that Warde shot himself in the head with a .38 caliber pistol while in his own car.
16. Anthony Zakharoff -49- Died July 27, 2003 in custody after collapsing at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility. While he was being booked at the jail, authorities said Zakharoff appeared to need medical help and then stopped breathing. He died soon after at a nearby hospital.
17. Michael William Behring-52- Died November 18, 2003 after being arrested on a warrant by Sheriff’s Deputies. Michael was awaiting booking at the county jail when a nurse recommended that he be taken to the hospital. Authorities said he admitted to ingesting methamphetamine near the time of his arrest. Cause of death was determined to be a drug overdose.
2004
18. Joseph Alan Peay -35- Died September 17, 2004 - after being shot 10 times by a Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy (Boustany who also killed Kenneth Hugh Duncan in 2005) and a CHP officer as he placed a loaded handgun in his mouth and shot. He was intoxicated and had been fleeing from a DUI checkpoint.
19. Kenneth Hugh Duncan -62- Died November 11, 2004 - after he was shot nine times by Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputies (Deputy Boustany who also killed Joseph A. Peay in 2004, Deputy Brad James also shot Roger Wayne Anderson in 1999 ) during a standoff, in which he killed his brother-in-law during a psychotic break.
20. April Hanlon -35- Died November 25, 2004 - in front of her home after Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputies claim she shot herself with a shotgun but was also fired upon at 10 times by Deputies because they thought she was shooting at somebody else..
2005
21. Terry Lee Grinner Jr. -30- Died January 28, 2005 - when Rohnert Park Police shot him twice in the back as he attempted to flee on foot after a traffic stop.
22. Carlos Casillas Fernandez -31- Died July 16, 2005 - in his home while having a psychotic episode, after being shot by Santa Rosa Police with Taser stun guns six times, hit with a large amount of pepper spray and put in a neck restraint while getting handcuffed.
23. Donna Gean Welch -48- Died August 21, 2005 in custody. She was booked into jail that night and discovered unconscious in her cell about 48 hours later. Welch, who was homeless, had been placed in the jail's general holding cells, but on a status requiring medical staff to monitor her condition more frequently due to drug withdrawal. The last medical check was done one hour and 24 minutes before her body was discovered. Jail policy requires guards to perform routine checks on inmates every 30 minutes. Deputies said that although two more interviews with guards have to be done, records gathered by investigators indicate that Welch had been checked ``right at the 30 minute mark.''
24. James Anthony Decosta -72- Died October 1, 2005 - when he was shot 27 times and fired upon 42 times after he pointed a loaded handgun at Petaluma Police after a car chase. He was being sought on child molestation warrants.
25. Michael Tolosko Died December 7, 2005 – His mother said he died after being shot with a Taser stun gun and said Sheriff’s Deputies didn't believe her when she told them her son stopped breathing and ignored her pleas for medical aid. The official cause of death was determined to be Agitated Psychosis, a “condition” commonly associated with Taser use and subsequent death –sometimes called Excited Delirium.
26. James Richard Nace -42- Died December 10, 2005 - when a Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy turned his own gun back on him as they attempted to arrest him for possession of marijuana.
2006
27. Moses McDowell -29- Died November 6, 2006 - he was bipolar and was suffering ethanol Withdrawal in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
2007
28. Haki Kuasi Gaidi Thurston -23- Died February 23, 2007 - after being shot 27 times with assault rifles by SRPD Swat team (One of these officers, Sgt. Richard Celli, also killed Richard DeSantis this year). Haki was unarmed and running AWAY from police. Sgt. Richard Celli, Sgt. Stephen Schwartz, Officer John Barr and Officer Brian Boettger.
29. Jeremiah Chass -16- Died March 12, 2007 - at his home after being shot 8 times by Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputies while suffering a mental health crisis, armed only with a pocket knife, and locked in a minivan.
30. Richard Desantis -30- Died April 9, 2007 - in front of his home after being shot twice with a handgun, a rifle and with plastic bullets by Santa Rosa Police, who were told by his wife in a clear and loud voice, that this was a mental health emergency and that her husband was unarmed. Officer Travis Menke, Sgt. Richard Celli, Officer Patricia Mann.
31. Walter L. Heller -55- Died April 22, 2007 - after suffering a brain injury as he fell to the ground in front of his home while unarmed, after being shot twice with Tasers by Petaluma Police Officers. Officers Gary Buffo, Jason Lechleiter and Dustin Rodrigues.
32. Luis Felipe Sanchez -27- Died May 4, 2007 – after being shot seven times by Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputies after they entered the home of his girlfriend and cornered him in a bathroom. Deputies Mike Frank, Greg Myers and Joe Dulworth
33. Richard Lamont Williamson Jr. -54- Died June 17, 2007 - according to the Sheriff’s Department while suffering from withdrawal in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
34. Ryan George -22- Died July 9, 2007 - while suffering from sickle cell anemia in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility after repeated requests by his family for treatment by his personal physician.
35. Gregorey William Townsley -46- Died September 24, 2007 – according to the Sheriff’s Department while suffering from withdrawal in the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility. Mr. Townsley was a houseless resident of Santa Rosa.
2008
36. Jesse Hamilton -24- Died January 2, 2008 - a mental health client, was shot by Santa Rosa Police who were responding to a mental health crisis call.
37. Samuel Antonio Castillo-Martinez -37- Died March 13, 2008 – in custody at the Sonoma County Honor farm. An autopsy revealed no signs of trauma or other suspicious circumstances, and Sheriff’s officials say this 37 year old man, in otherwise perfect health, may have died from "cardiac-related natural causes”
38. Heather Smith (Billings) -31- Died March 16, 2008 – after being shot by Rohnert Park Police who were responding to a mental health crisis call.
39. Leobardo Medina Pacheco – 38 - April 21, 2008 succumbed in hospital after found hanging in Sonoma County Jail on April 18.
40. Guy James Fernandez - 42 – November 10, 2008 Taser death at the hands of Rohnert Park Public Safety. According to the Sheriff, Fernandez may have been under the influence of methamphetamine.
41. Craig Von Dohlen -37- December 6, 2008 – shot 10 times when confronting four Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies with a rifle.
42. Nathan Vaughn -39- December 22, 2008 – Killed by Taser Sheriff’s Department. Had called day before asking to be taken into custody
2009
43. Jon Gerald Moore -44- September 18, 2009 died in Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility. “No obvious signs of trauma and nothing suspicious.”
2010
44. Teresa Ellen Hagan – 44 – January 22, 2010 – found hanging in a “padded sobering cell” and later died in the hospital.
45. Albert Mike Leday, Jr -June 1, 2010- Coddingtown- shot and killed by Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Fuston after high speed chase. 3rd person killed by Fuston.
46. Michael Lee Molgard -34- September 8, 2010 apparently jumped to his death from a high railing in Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
47. Nicodemus Sullivan October 29, 2010 – Shot and killed by Sheriff’s Deputies and CHP after cops mistakenly thought he was “ramming” cop cars. 41 shots fired.
48. Brian Leonard Gittings -44- December 5, 2010 - died after he appeared to have trouble breathing at the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility.
2011
49. William Jackson – 59- April 15, 2011 died after suffering “medical distress” at North County Detention Facility
50. Pablo Perez Ramirez – 25- November 25, 2011 – pulled a revolver from his waistband and was killed by Sebastopol PD officer Dennis Colthurst.
2013
51. Richard Shreckengaust – 37- February 28, 2013 – killed by Sheriff’s Deputies in Guerneville. The Feb. 28 killing of Richard Shreckengaust, 37, by Deputy Brian Parks was ruled justified because officers feared Shreckengaust was reaching for a weapon inside his car when he was shot, District Attorney Jill Ravitch said in a written statement.
52. Neils Conrad -55- April 19, 2013 – found unconscious on the floor of the dorm room bathroom at the North County Detention Facility.
53. Urbano Moreno Morales – 48- June 8, 2013 killed by Windsor Police (Sheriff) after stabbing his ex-girlfriend and charging police.
54. Christopher Eric Augustin -37- October 16, 2013- Man dies after struggle with Santa Rosa Police Department. The man appeared to suffer some kind of medical emergency after police confronted him at the apartment, police officials said. Death is being investigated by Sonoma County Sheriff’s office.
55. Andy Lopez Cruz – 13 - October 22, 2013 – Andy Lopez Cruz was shot by a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Erick Gelhaus while he walking through an open field carrying a plastic replica of an AK47 in broad daylight. Santa Rosa Police are investigating.
56. Wayne Courtright – 59 – November 18, 2013 - Armed Guerneville man shot, killed by Sonoma County sheriff's deputies. Being investigated by the Petaluma Police Department and Sonoma Count y District Attorney’s Office.
2014
57. Everardo Romo -43- February 14, 2014 Healdsburg PD died from a single gunshot to the head on Feb. 14 . Romo, a suspect in a child-molestation investigation, was found hiding in a Healdsburg home by the occupants, Ravitch said.
58. Miguel Angel Garcia – 32- April 2, 2014 A 32-year-old male suspected of being a contract killer for a cartel and wanted for numerous felony charges took a woman hostage, barricading himself inside a travel trailer which began a thirty-hour standoff with law enforcement. The suspect was wanted on several charges including weapons violations, possession of stolen property, possession of drugs, and child endangerment. The suspect was also wanted for questioning in relation to a kidnapping which was later confirmed to be a homicide. Killed by SWAT in the trailer.
59. Wayne Hoffman --48- April 6, 2014 on bicycle SRPD The man suffered a medical emergency," Santa Rosa Police Lt. Clay Van Artsdalen said in a statement.
60. Glenn Raymond Swindell – 39 – May16, 2014 SWAT Larkfield
61. Mikol Wayne Stewart – 37 – September 28, 2014
62. Diego Armando De Paz -31- October 8, 2014 The family of a Santa Rosa man found dead in the Sonoma County Jail said this week they believe he may have gone into shock when he didn’t receive prescribed medications for several health conditions, including diabetes. He was serving a 15-day sentence related to a drunken-driving conviction when he was found unresponsive in his North County Detention Center bed last Wednesday.”
63. Rhonda Jean Everson – 50- October 18, 2014 She was found around 9:30 p.m. Saturday when a correctional deputy and a jail nurse dispensing medication discovered her unresponsive. There was no sign of injury or foul play, Sgt. Cecile Focha said in the press release.
2015
64. Karen Janks – 46- April 24, 2015 A Bay Area woman who led Sonoma County authorities on a high-speed pursuit that spanned 19 miles from Windsor to Sebastopol before its violent conclusion has died, succumbing to injuries incurred after she rammed three sheriff’s deputies with her car and was repeatedly fired upon in return, law enforcement officials said.
2017
65. Branch Wroth -41- May 12, 2017 No criminal charges will be filed against the Rohnert Park public safety officers involved in the death of a Forestville man who had a heart attack after being shocked with an electric stun gun and restrained by police last year, Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said. Officers David Sittig-Wattson and Sean Huot
66. Victor Gonzalez Gonzalez -44- October 21, 2017 alleged prowler shot and killed by Cloverdale police early Saturday morning. Victor Gonzalez Gonzalez was shot by two officers after he allegedly advanced on them with a hammer disregarding demands to drop the weapon, according to Petaluma police investigating the incident.
67. Unidentified man -54- September 6, 2017. A 54-year-old man reported to be punching the glass doors of an east Santa Rosa office building died in custody Wednesday after suffering an unknown medical condition, police said.
68. Pablo Garcia Toribio -35- August 5, 2019 shot and killed at his West Steel Lane home by SRPD Officer Nicholas Vlahandreas
68. Pablo Garcia Toribio -35- August 5, 2019 shot and killed at his West Steel Lane home by SRPD Officer Nicholas Vlahandreas
69. Michael Webster Estes -59- August 10, 2017 Estes was vomiting and having trouble breathing around 9:50 a.m. Thursday, Sonoma County sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum said.
2018
70. Michael Joe Medina – 32- January 31, 2018 A Sonoma County Jail inmate died Wednesday at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Santa Rosa about four hours after being taken into custody by Windsor police. The 32-year-old Sonoma County man, whose name is being withheld until his next of kin are notified, was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication at a Burger King on Hembree Lane around 9:15 a.m., sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Spencer Crum said in a prepared statement. Windsor police had responded to a call that someone had urinated.
71. Roderic Bernard Cameron – 44 - March 28, 2018 The man did not listen to police orders and began moving toward the deputies, who then shot him with their Taser weapons and engaged in a struggle to handcuff the suspect, Sackett said. He did not say how many deputies were involved, but Cregan said two deputies were initially involved and had called in backup as the encounter escalated. The suspect continued to resist deputies as they sought to detain him, so they restrained his legs with a hobble device in an effort to gain control of the situation, Cregan said. The man then “went into medical distress” and appeared not to be breathing, so deputies called emergency responders who were already on standby, according to Cregan. Paramedics were on scene “within seconds” and they rushed the man to Sonoma Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cregan said. The deputies involved and their law enforcement experience are: John Grohl, 17 years; Nick Deguilio, 10; Taylor Brinkman, 3; Jeff Sherman, 10; Aaron Hunt, 4; Don McCarthy, 12; Lucas Dotta, 5.
72. Walter Ross -65- June 30, 2018, shot himself in the head as officers were approaching the chaotic scene at his son's Garfield Park Avenue home the evening of June 24, Santa Rosa police said.
