Sheriffs’ Union Demands Investigation Of County Watchdogs

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Attorneys for the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association are demanding an independent investigation by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors into what they called misconduct by the county's law enforcement watchdog.

Attorneys for the association blasted findings by the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO), accusing its leadership of weaponizing their office to harass, retaliate against, and publicly humiliate Sonoma County deputies.

In a letter to supervisors, attorneys singled out IOLERO Director John Alden and Auditor Emma Dill, and demanded an end to “a campaign of retaliation masquerading as oversight.”

“IOLERO has abandoned any pretense of fairness or independence,” a DSA attorney, Jonathan Murphy, said in a statement.

The accusations stem from findings released in a recent report by the watchdog organization over the 2022 killing of David Peláez Chavez. Chavez, 36, of Lower Lake, was killed when a deputy opened fire after repeatedly asking him to drop a claw hammer and a tiller, according to the sheriff's department. Police responded to several reports of Chavez reportedly threatening Healdsburg residents with rocks, and urging at least one resident to shoot him, according to police.

That investigation focused on whether deputies complied with law and policy in the events that led to the shooting of Peláez Chavez near Healdsburg on July 29, 2022. It also reviewed the investigation by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

In an Aug. 8 report, IOLERO investigators questioned whether deputies could have avoided using lethal force on Chavez, as well as whether the Sheriff's Office policy and training contributed to the the fatal outcome.

Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Egram questioned the authority of the agency and said an investigation by the Sonoma County District Attorney's office concluded the deputies' actions were reasonable and lawful.

The report marked the first time the IOLERO board used its Measure P authority to independently investigate a deputy-involved fatal shooting.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.