Deputy Involved In Bodega Bay Shooting Identified

BODEGA BAY, CA — The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office released the name of the deputy who shot an assault suspect Thursday, July 4 in Bodega Bay. Deputy Jason Pasero, an 18-year veteran of law enforcement, was identified in the deputy-involved shooting. Pasero is a canine handler and resident deputy assigned to Bodega Bay. He joined the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office in 2015 after serving with the San Bruno Police Department for 14 years.

At about 8 p.m. July 4, Pasero and a California Highway Patrol officer responded to reports of a man assaulting several people in the area of Swan and Heron drives in the Bodega Harbor subdivision.

When Pasero and the CHP officer arrived at the scene, they parked their patrol cars side-by-side on Pelican Loop Road, according to sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum.

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Betai Koffi of San Francisco, was believed to be under the influence of LSD and was driving a truck he stole from a security guard moments earlier, Crum said.

Koffi reportedly drove straight toward the two peace officers' cars, Crum said.

Pasero, who had exited his patrol car attempting to get out of the way, fired several rounds at Koffi but Koffi continued to accelerate, colliding into the CHP officer's car, Crum said.

As Koffi continued to accelerate and the deputy fired several more rounds, the truck came to a stop.

The deputy then took Koffi into custody and applied medical aid until paramedics arrived, according to Crum.

Koffi was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital.

Investigators have determined Koffi was in Bodega Bay staying at a rental home with friends for the Fourth of July holiday. Law enforcement believes Koffi took at least four doses of LSD, also known as acid, on Thursday.

Koffi reportedly assaulted a few of his friends, then tried to leave the house in his rental car. After crashing that car into the garage of the home, he reportedly went to another home in the subdivision and stabbed a security guard with the metal stake of a landscape light, then took off in the security guard's truck, Crum said.

He is accused of assaulting at least seven people, including hitting two women and a man with the truck before driving it straight toward the two patrol cars.

Koffi suffered at three gunshot wounds, Crum said.

While still hospitalized Friday in critical condition, Koffi was placed under arrest on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one carjacking count, according to Crum.

The deputy-involved shooting part of the investigation is being handled by the Santa Rosa Police Department and the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.

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