Sonoma County Sheriff Defends Exempting Deputies From Oversight Interviews

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram announced he will not compel his deputies to submit to interviews with the law enforcement watchdog agency that recently issued a report critical of the 2022 shooting of a man in Healdsburg.

Citing constitutional law and labor rights, Engram said on Sunday that if deputies were compelled to give statements, those statements could be used in criminal proceedings, potentially violating their constitutional rights.

He said he supported transparency, but not at the expense of constitutional rights and respect for California law.

"To that end, I have declined to issue an order compelling deputies to interview with the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO)."

His statement on Monday came a day after sealed court documents related the investigation into the 2022 shooting by deputies of David Peláez Chavez , 36, of Lower Lake.

Deputies responded to several reports of Chavez reportedly threatening Healdsburg residents with rocks, and urging at least one resident to shoot him.

A deputy opened fire after repeatedly ordering Chavez to drop what turned out to be a claw hammer and a tiller, according to the sheriff's department.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors established the independent civilian police oversight agency in 2016 following the death of a 13-year-old, Andy Lopez, which resulted in a $3 million settlement.

Sonoma County voters expanded the agency's reach in 2020 by passing Measure P.

The report about the killing of Chavez marked the first time the IOLERO board used its Measure P authority to independently investigate a shooting.

IOLERO 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.

Engram 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.

Attorneys for the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association blasted IOLERO's findings, accusing its leadership of weaponizing their office to harass, retaliate against, and publicly humiliate Sonoma County deputies.

In a letter to supervisors, the 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.

Read more about the shooting of David Peláez Chavez:

https://patch.com/california/p...

https://patch.com/california/p...

https://patch.com/california/h...

https://patch.com/california/h...

Read more about the Andy Lopez settlement:

https://patch.com/california/r...

https://patch.com/california/s...

https://patch.com/california/p...