Petaluma Man Who Died After Chase Was Registered Owner Of Car: PD

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Petaluma man who died the day before Thanksgiving after leading Sebastopol police officers and Sonoma County sheriff's deputies on a pursuit through west Sonoma County in what was believed to be a stolen car was driving his own vehicle, authorities now say.

Petaluma resident David Glen Ward, 52, died Wednesday morning, Nov. 27, at Petaluma Valley Hospital less than an hour after he was handcuffed in a physical struggle with Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies and Sebastopol police officers.

The sheriff's office initially reported that Ward suffered a medical emergency shortly after he was placed in handcuffs on suspicion of evading officers in a car that was reported stolen Nov. 24 in a carjacking.

It turns out, the car Ward was driving was registered in his name, according to an update from the Santa Rosa Police Department which is leading the investigation of the in-custody death.

"The car, a 2003 Honda Civic, was reported stolen by Ward," SRPD Lt. Dan Marincik told Patch. "He did not report that he had recovered the car."

The Pursuit

According to the sheriff office's initial press release about the pursuit and death, at 5:41 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, two deputies were near Frei Road at Guerneville Road looking for a car that was stolen during a carjacking.

"A deputy and two Sebastopol police officers found the car and tried to pull the driver over on Bloomfield Road near Murray Road," sheriff's Sgt. Juan Valencia said. "The driver initially pulled over, then sped away from the peace officers and started a pursuit."

As the officers and deputies chased the driver, now identified as Ward, through West County, they tried to stop the car with a PIT maneuver — when a peace officer uses a patrol car to abruptly turn a fleeing car sideways, causing the driver to lose control and stop — but that was unsuccessful, Valencia said.

The chase came to end on Sutton Street, a dead-end road in Bloomfield, when deputies used their patrol cars to box in Ward's car.

As deputies tried to arrest Ward on suspicion of driving a stolen car and evading officers, Ward reportedly fought with the deputies, Valencia said.

"The deputies used a Taser but he kept fighting," Valencia said. "They then attempted to use a carotid restraint hold to try to stop him from fighting. A carotid restraint hold is a way of controlling a combative person by placing pressure on the carotid artery, which causes the person to lose consciousness. After deputies placed the man in handcuffs, he had a medical emergency. Deputies began life-saving measures and requested medical personnel. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead."

Eight Deputies, Officers Involved

The Santa Rosa Police Department has released the names of two Sebastopol police officers and six Sonoma County sheriff's deputies involved in the incident.

Two deputies and two officers who were involved in the pursuit and were first at the scene when the chase ended were identified as:

— Deputy Charlie Blount, who has worked as a sheriff’s deputy for over 19 years after serving almost two years as a Santa Rosa police officer;

— Deputy Jason Little, who has been a deputy with the sheriff's office for 17 years, the first five as a correctional deputy at the county jail;

— Sebastopol police Officer Andrew Bauer, a six-year veteran of Sebastopol PD who previously worked for the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office for three years; and

— Sebastopol police Officer Ethan Stockton, who has been with Sebastopol PD for two years.

Four sheriff's deputies who arrived at the scene after the chase ended were identified as:

— Deputy Dan Glosser, who has been with the sheriff's office for four years;

— Deputy Nick Jax, who has worked as a patrol deputy for four years after serving as a correctional deputy for 10 years;

— Deputy Kyle Smith, who has been working as a patrol deputy for three years after serving nine years as a correctional deputy with the sheriff's office; and

— Deputy James Falberg, who has been a deputy for 11 years after serving as a correctional deputy for two years.

Santa Rosa Police Department's Initial Findings

SRPD also released its initial findings, stating that at 5:41 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, the sheriff's dispatch center was notified by an off-duty Santa Rosa police detective that a car sought in a vehicle-theft investigation was spotted in the area of Frei Road and Guerneville Road in an unincorporated area north of Sebastopol.

"The suspect in the initial theft had been in possession of a firearm, and the vehicle was still reported as stolen," SRPD Lt. Marincik said.

Deputy Little was closest to that area and successfully located the car. At 5:54 a.m., Little attempted to pull Ward over in the vicinity of Bloomfield and Murray roads.

"Deputy Little could not see inside of the vehicle and did not know how many or the identity of the occupants inside," Marincik said.

Ward initially stopped but then took off and the pursuit began, the lieutenant said.

By that time, Sebastopol officers Bauer and Stockton were involved in the pursuit, with Little in the lead.

At 5:59 a.m., as the pursuit continued, Little tried the PIT maneuver which momentarily stopped Ward's car until he again drove off, according to SRPD.

At 6:02 a.m., Ward stopped at Sutton Street — a dead-end road in Bloomfield — where Little, Bauer and Stockton "boxed in" Ward's car with their three patrol cars.

"The pursuit lasted approximately 7 minutes and reached an estimated top speed of over 70 miles per hour," Marincik said.

Deputy Blount then arrived at the scene and accompanied Little, Bauer and Stockton as they approached Ward in his car.

"They gave Ward, the only occupant inside of the vehicle, orders to open the door, but he did not follow them," Marincik said. "Ward would put his hands up but continue to lower them out of the view of officers. Ward eventually rolled down the window but did not open the door."

A physical struggle ensued as the officers tried to remove Ward through the driver’s window.

"At one point during the struggle, Deputy Little and Deputy Blount were both bit by Ward," Marincik said. "The deputies and officers used personal body weapons and struck Ward several times in an attempt to gain compliance and remove him from his vehicle."

In an email response to Patch, Marincik explained that personal body weapons "refer to hands, legs, etc."

"In this instance, I know that Ward was struck with fists, elbows and knees," Marincik said via email Tuesday. "Deputy Little and Deputy Blount both struck Ward with personal body weapons, but I do not currently have which each deputy used."

According to SRPD, the physical struggle continued for several minutes until Little drew his Taser and deployed it at Ward through the open driver’s window.

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"The Taser was not effective and Ward continued to struggle," Marincik said.

Shortly after Ward was Tasered, Blount, who was standing outside the driver’s door, placed one of his arms around Ward's neck in an attempt to administer a carotid restraint.

Meantime, Stockton used his baton to break the front passenger window.

"Ward was then removed from the vehicle through the passenger door, and they placed him in handcuffs," Marincik said.

Deputies Glosser, Jax, Smith and Falberg arrived at the scene after Ward had been removed from the car and placed in handcuffs.

At 6:10 a.m., one of the deputies radioed the dispatch center to report that Ward did not appear to be breathing. CPR was also reportedly started at that time.

Paramedics arrived at 6:21 a.m. and took Ward via ambulance to Petaluma Valley Hospital.

At 7:17 a.m., Ward was pronounced deceased.

The sheriff’s office is conducting an administrative review to determine if deputies followed policies during this incident, Marincik said.

The Marin County Sheriff-Coroner's Office is working on determining the manner and cause of Ward's death.

"The investigation is still ongoing, and the details provided are based on the information that we currently have," Marincik said. "We encourage anyone with additional information regarding this incident to call our Violent Crimes Investigations Team at 707-543-3590."