Healdsburg Man, 19, Allegedly Assaults Sonoma CHP Officer

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- A 19-year-old Healdsburg man remained jailed Tuesday after he allegedly head-butted a California Highway Patrol officer in an early-morning freeway ramp encounter, a spokesman for Santa Rosa Area CHP said.

According to CHP Public Information Officer Jonathan Sloat, the alleged incident occurred about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday on an onramp to northbound Highway 101 from downtown Santa Rosa. Sloat said the officers were parked on the right shoulder of the ramp when they noticed a man walking toward them.

"The officers exited the patrol vehicle and contacted the shirtless male, who was yelling and aggressively waving his arms at them as he approached," Sloat said. "They instructed the male that he could not walk onto the freeway and had to turn around and walk off."

The man, later identified as Federico Morales, 19, of Healdsburg, "continued to yell and asked if they were going to 'tase' him," Sloat said.

Morales allegedly did not follow the officers' repeated orders to walk off the ramp. Instead, he told the officers "he wanted to go to Walmart in Windsor and wanted the officers to take him there," Sloat said.

Morales reportedly continued to approach the officers, "attempting to push one aside to walk to the freeway," according to Sloat.

When the officers ordered Morales to the ground in an attempt to handcuff him, Morales "violently resisted," Sloat alleged.

Once Morales was handcuffed and was being walked to the patrol car, he "head-butted the escorting officer in the head," Sloat said.

"The subject continued to fight getting into the patrol car and as the officer was attempting to secure the seat belt, he again head-butted the officer, this time in the mouth," Sloat said.

Morales was eventually booked into the main Sonoma County jail in Santa Rosa on suspicion of battery on a peace officer, violation of probation and resisting arrest.

According to jail records, Morales remained in custody Tuesday afternoon in lieu of $60,000 bail and was due in court at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The officer was treated for minor injuries, according to Sloat.

Patch file photo/Credit: Maggie Avants