TranslateCritical Incident Reports
Critical Incident Protocol
- Critical Incident Protocol (PDF: 528 kB)
The role of the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office in a law enforcement employee involved fatal incident is to:
- Review the investigation to determine if there exists any criminal liability on the part of the law enforcement employee.
- Provide assistance to the investigating agency regarding legal issues.
- Supplement the investigation when necessary.
- When appropriate, prosecute those persons believed to have committed crimes, if any.
The District Attorney is not charged with reviewing the administrative policies of the involved law enforcement agency, or determining whether the involved employee has violated any agency rules, regulations or conditions of employment.
The District Attorney’s Office will continue to release reports to the public with regard to findings in law enforcement involved fatal incidents. By doing so, it is hoped that the public will have a better understanding of the dynamics in play when an incident occurs requiring the invocation of the law enforcement employee involved fatal incident protocol.
Reports regarding each review and finding have been forwarded to the Grand Jury, as set forth in the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chiefs’ Protocol.
2022 July 29 - David Pelaez-Chavez
On July 29, 2022, thirty-six-year-old David Pelaez-Chavez was shot with a firearm by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Dietrick. Mr. Pelaez-Chavez died as a result of those gunshot wounds.
2022 October 15 – Nathan Smart
On Saturday, October 15, 2022, at approximately 18:45, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a residence in Boyes Hot Springs regarding a report of a family disturbance. The reporting party, Jane Doe #1, reported her son, Nathan Smart had been drinking, was under the influence of drugs and had threatened to kill her. Ms. Doe #1 also stated she believed Nathan Smart had been in possession of ghost guns in his bedroom and had made guns in his bedroom.
2022 May 25 – Charles Martin Wyatt
On May 25th, 2022, Charles Martin Wyatt was a resident of Santa Rosa, CA, on parole, and under the supervision of Agent Jeffery Gill, a parole agent out of the Santa Rosa Parole Office. Agent Gill had supervised Wyatt since April of 2022. As a condition of his parole, Wyatt was attending sex offender treatment pursuant to California Penal Code section 3008, due to Wyatt being a registrant pursuant to Penal Code section 290. Additionally, due to a positive drug test for cocaine on April 15, 2022, Wyatt was attending drug treatment, as a condition of his parole.
2021 November 18 – Jordon Bordoso Pas
On November 18, 2021, Jordon Bordoso Pas, age 40, while under the influence of cocaine, died as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest during or shortly after his struggle with Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) officers, where a taser was applied, as officers attempted to gain control of Mr. Pas. The officers had responded to an incident on Peach Court in Santa Rosa, where Mr. Pas was randomly firing an assault rifle in a residential neighborhood and yelling incoherently.
2020 March 7 – Douglas Scott Thoreson
On March 7, 2020, fifty-nine-year-old Douglas Scott Thoreson died as a result of acute methamphetamine intoxication, with contributing conditions of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This death occurred while Mr. Thoreson was being evaluated for admission at the Sonoma County jail.
2020 August 15 Donald Miller
On August 15, 2020, Donald Miller and Jane Doe were camping at Duncans Mills along with Jane Doe's mother, Carol Doe. Donald was having a psychotic break so Jane Doe decided to drive Donald to the VA hospital. As Jane Doe was driving she became more concerned about Donald's behavior so she stopped their truck and exited the vehicle. Donald also exited, grabbed Jane Doe from behind and forced her into the business located at 15650 River Road. Jane Doe yelled for someone to call 911.
2020 August 4 – Sean Patrick Bell
On August 4, 2020, Sean Patrick Bell died as a result of a traffic collision at the intersection of Santa Rosa Avenue and the entrance to the Santa Rosa Market Place.
2019 July 31 – Rigoberta Cabrera
On July 31, 2019, Rigoberta Cabrera suffered a catastrophic health event while in the custody of Sonoma County Sheriffs Deputies Marcus Holton and his trainee Anthony Crivello.
2019 August 2 – Brad Baymon
On August 2, 2019, Brad Baymon was shot during an incident involving Sonoma County Sheriffs Deputy David Edney.
2018 May 13 – Ryan Joseph Pritel
On May 13, 2018, Ryan Joseph Pritel was shot at, but not struck, during an incident involving Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Matelli.
2018 March 28 – Roderic-Bernard-Cameron
On March 28, 2018, forty-four-year-old Roderic Bernard Cameron died as a result of fatal cardiac dysrhythmia due to severe hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
2018 July 4 – Koffi, Betai Michel
On July 4, 2019, Betai Michel Koffi (hereafter Koffi) was seriously injured as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during an encounter with Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Pasero.
2018 January 31 – Michael Joe Medina
On January 31, 2018, Windsor Police Department Deputy G. Bone contacted Michael Joe Medina (32) regarding a citizen complaint that Medina had urinated outside of his car.
2018 January 14 – Antonio Ramirez-Frati
Antonio Ramirez-Frati was born on March 26, 1996. On January 14, 2018, Ramirez-Frati attempted to commit suicide by intentionally forcing five officers from the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety into a position where each officer individually concluded that it was necessary to discharge his firearm at him to defend human life.
2018 April 3 Garcia-Vara
On April 3, 2018, Luis Alberto Garcia-Vara ("Garcia-Vara") was killed by officers from the Petaluma Police Department.
2017 October 21 Victor Gonzalez-Gonzalez
On October 21, 2017, Victor Gonzalez-Gonzalez died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds by two officers employed by the Cloverdale Police Department. Gonzalez-Gonzalez was 44 years old.
2017 October 21 – Victor Gonzalez-Gonzalez
On October 21, 2017, Victor Gonzalez-Gonzalez died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds by two officers employed by the Cloverdale Police Department. Gonzalez-Gonzalez was 44 years old.
2017 May 5 – Sanchez Martinez
Sanchez-Martinez was born on August 1, 1994, and was 22 at the time of this shooting. He resided in Santa Rosa with his mother and other family members.
2017 May 12 – Branch Christopher Wroth
On May 12, 2017, Branch Christopher Wroth, age 41, while under the influence of methamphetamine, died as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest during a struggle with police attempting to take him into custody.
2017 August 5 Pablo Garcia-Garcia
On August 5, 2017, Mr. Pablo Toribeo Garica-Garcia, died as a result of gunshot wounds received during an officer-involved shooting involving Santa Rosa Police Officers.
2017 April 2 – Jose Francisco Martinez
On April 2, 2017, Jose Francisco Martinez died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries sustained during a solo motor vehicle collision.
2016 September 18 - Maclovio T Romero
On September 18, 2016, Maclovio T. Romero died as a result of a solo motor vehicle collision. The collision occurred when the vehicle in which Romero was the single rear passenger collided with a cement barrier at a high rate of speed, ejecting Romero and the driver.
2016 February 14 - William Alexander Moncada
William Alexander Moncada was born on January 28, 1978. He died on February 14, 2016 as a result of a solo motor vehicle collision.
2015, February 28 - Keila Medina Verdusco
On February 28, 2015, Keila Medina Verdusco died as a result of a solo motor vehicle collision which occurred when she exited highway 101, traveling southbound at Hearn Avenue at a high rate of speed to evade a traffic stop by law enforcement for excessive speed.
2015, April 22 Karen Audra Janks
On April 22, 2015, Karen Audra Janks died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds sustained by Deputies employed by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. The shooting event occurred at the conclusion of a lengthy vehicle pursuit.
2015 May 20 - Roberto Hernandez
On May 20, 2015, Roberto Hernandez died as a result of self-inflicted, knife wounds to the throat. Hernandez was 38 years old at the time of his death.
2015 March 16 - Jon Michael Debettencourt
On March 16, 2015, Jon Michael Debettencourt died as a result of a solo motor vehicle collision which occurred when traveling at a high rate of speed to evade law enforcement. Mr. Debettencourt was northbound on Highway 1 north of Bodega Highway, when he suddenly veered left, crossed the road and hit a tree on the opposite side of the roadway.
2015 April 29 - Jeffrey Singleton
On April 29th, 2015, Jeffrey Singleton was shot by an on-duty deputy sheriff employed by the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office. The shooting event occurred at the conclusion of a dispatch call out for a report of a male subject having brandished and threatened another male subject with a knife.
2014, September 28 - Mikol Wayne Stewart
Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility inmate Mikol Wayne Stewart (herein after referred to as Stewart) was discovered hanging by a bed sheet from a ventilation grate in cell H-7 on September 28, 2014, at approximately 1020 hours. Jail personnel cut the sheet the deceased was hanging from and administered CPR until AMR Medics arrived.
2014, October 8 - Diego Armando Depaz
Sonoma County North County Detention Facility inmate Diego Armando DePaz was discovered unresponsive on October 8, 2014, at the North County Detention Facility.
2014, February 14 - Everardo Romo
On February 14, 2014, Everardo Romo died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head which occurred during an attempt by officers of the Healdsburg Police Department to place him under arrest. The Healdsburg Police Department invoked the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Employee-Involved Fatal Incident Protocol.
2014, April 6 Wayne Allan Ceballos Hoffman
On April 6, 2014, Mr. Wayne Allan Ceballos Hoffman (hereafter referred to as Hoffman), while under the influence of a high level of methamphetamine, died as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest during a struggle with police attempting to take him into custody. The excited delirium death occurred on Nordyke Avenue in Santa Rosa, California.
2014, April 2, 2014 - Miguel Angel Garcia-Morran
On April 2, 2014 Miguel Angel Garcia- Morran died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest which occurred during an attempt by Deputies from the Sonoma and Napa County Sheriffs Office SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams to arrest him for anoutstanding felony warrant from Napa County and to serve a search warrant in Kenwood, California.
2013, October 22 - Andy Lopez Cruz
On October 22, 2013, Andy Lopez Cruz was shot multiple times by an on-duty deputy sheriff employed by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. He died at the scene. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office immediately invoked the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Employee-Involved Fatal Incident Protocol.
2013, October 16 - Christopher Eric Augustin
On October 16, 2013, Mr. Christopher Augustin, while under the influence of a high level of methamphetamine, died as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest during a struggle with officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department who were attempting to take him into custody. The death was found to be due to "excited delirium" and occurred at a residence located in Santa Rosa, California
2013, November 18 - Wayne Allen Courtright, Jr.
On November 18, 2013, Wayne Courtright Jr., 58, died as a result of a single gunshot wound that was sustained when he was shot by an on-duty deputy sheriff employed by the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office. The shooting event occurred at during a dispatch call out on a report of an armed subject threatening to kill his wife.
2013, June 8 - Urbano Morales
This fatal shooting involved the Windsor Police Department. The city of Windsor contracts with the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office for their police services; all Windsor police officers are Sonoma County Sheriffs Deputies. The involved officers in this incident were Deputies Andrew Cash and Donald Fletcher. The decedent was 48-year-old Urbano Morales of Windsor.