No charges against deputies in use of force incident, sheriff's office says

Mar. 11—Over the weekend, the Sutter County Sheriff's Office, including Sheriff Brandon Barnes, released videos in response to a use of force incident that occurred on Sept. 9, 2023, in Live Oak.

According to a 911 call recording released by the Sutter County Sheriff's Office, a man later identified as 27-year-old Braden Fields allegedly attempted to enter a person's vehicle in the 10000 block of Highway 99 in Live Oak.

"Um, so I have this guy and we have our truck parked out front cause we're going to do a dump run tomorrow morning. We have a whole bunch of stuff in the back and there's a gentleman out there, my husband went out there to approach him," the caller to dispatch claimed. "But he was kinda coming at him, so I just told my husband to step back inside. The gentleman is like in our front yard and I don't know what he's trying to do."

The caller then said that Fields tried to open the front door of their home with the couple inside.

Video footage shows Fields approaching the home and touching the home's doorbell. Later he could be seen attempting to open that same door. Fields was unsuccessful and appeared to walk away. The caller said Fields walked south toward a gas station convenience store that was nearby.

A deputy who was dispatched on the call located Fields outside of the convenience store at 10020 Highway 99 at around 10 p.m. Fields approached the deputy once the deputy stepped out of the vehicle. That deputy was identified as Steven Shorey, the sheriff's office said Monday.

As Shorey was speaking with Fields, two men approached them and claimed that Fields tried to open the door of their vehicle.

"The thing is, I'm a scientist time traveler," Fields told the two men.

During that initial interaction, Fields could be heard rambling about "carbon units" and that he was "not going to make it."

The sheriff's office said Fields' "incoherent statements and body movements were indicative of drug intoxication."

According to Shorey's body cam footage, the deputy attempted to get Fields to put his hands behind his back in order to detain him. The sheriff's office claims Fields was "not cooperative," but according to the video footage, Fields appeared to be confused and disoriented.

Fields is then seen walking toward the convenience store, away from Shorey. As Fields approached the entrance of the convenience store, Shorey continued to attempt to get him to cooperate with his commands — telling Fields to put his hands behind his back.

"I'm here to help you," Shorey told Fields.

The sheriff's office claims that Fields pointed to the store and said, "make sure nobody is in that (expletive) store." Shorey then alerted dispatch that Fields was "likely to resist arrest and requested backup."

Around a minute later, video footage shows Fields enter the store. There was no video footage provided that confirmed Fields had threatened the store or anyone inside it.

"I don't want to fight you in the store," Shorey could be heard saying, again pleading with Fields to cooperate. Fields again begins to mumble and speak incoherently as Shorey follows him through the store's aisles.

"I'm not gonna play this game all night," Shorey said.

"What is it, time continuums or (unintelligible)?" Fields responded.

Shorey then tries to get Fields away from an aisle so that the deputy "doesn't have to break these bottles and stuff," Shorey could be heard saying.

"Human or not?" Fields responded.

Shorey was eventually able to touch Fields and put his hands behind his back. As is seen in all the footage provided of the incident beforehand, Fields remained quiet and calm.

However, as Shorey further attempted to restrain Fields, Fields started to pull his hands away.

"It's gonna be a lot worse if you try to pull away, OK?" Shorey said. "I know you're upset. ... You need to stop. ... You're gonna get put on the ground if you keep doing it."

Fields is then seen resisting the deputy, eventually facing him. Shorey is then seen grabbing one of Fields' arms and twisting it. As the deputy twists Fields' arm in an attempt to detain him, he forces Fields to the floor.

The sheriff's office also released video footage captured by people inside of the store.

In that footage, Shorey can be seen taking Fields down, putting pressure on his neck and head area. The deputy puts his body weight on Fields, with both knees on Fields' body.

The sheriff's office claims that Fields "repeatedly kicked" Shorey in the arms and chest and attempted to punch the deputy. No video footage released clearly shows that type of retaliation by Fields.

After Fields is able to stand back up, Shorey is seen tasing Fields, who collapses to the ground after the taser is used. Shorey is then seen kneeled on the ground next to Fields, again attempting to detain him.

Shorey told dispatch that a taser was "deployed." Dispatch responded by saying, "copy, one at gunpoint." The footage released shows no guns were aimed at either Fields, Shorey or anyone inside the store. Fields appeared to not be armed. A second deputy then arrived at the scene, Devin Hungrige.

The sheriff's office said once Hungrige arrived, he attempted to place Fields on his stomach. In video provided by the sheriff's office, Hungrige could be seen punching Fields multiple times in the head as Fields laid on the floor. Blood could also be seen on Fields' face and the floor.

The two deputies continued to struggle with Fields as they attempted to restrain him. At one point, one of the deputies could be seen using his elbow to strike Fields in what appeared to be his head and neck area.

The deputies were eventually able to put Fields in handcuffs with more deputies and emergency personnel arriving at the scene to provide medical aid to Fields.

After detaining Fields, Shorey said Fields was "under the influence of a stimulant," according to body cam footage. Fields was later treated at a hospital and released into the custody of the Sutter County Sheriff's Office the next morning. His initial charges included under the influence of a controlled substance, assault on a police officer, battery of a police officer with injury and obstructing or resisting an officer.

According to court records, Fields pleaded no contest to two charges against him on Jan. 31 of this year related to the 2023 incident, a felony charge of "Resisting Arrest/Threatening Officer" and a misdemeanor of "Assault Upon Peace Officer or Firefighter." Prior to Jan. 31, a mental competency hearing was scheduled on Jan. 24.

Along with fines, Fields was ordered to serve 184 days in Sutter County Jail. Actual time served was 92 days. Fields received a "conduct credit" of 92 days.

After an investigation by the Sutter County District Attorney's Office, it was determined that no charges would be filed against Shorey or Hungrige for their involvement in the use of force incident.

In a video released over the weekend, Barnes could be seen reading a prepared statement about the arrest.

"On September of 2023, deputies responded to a call for service in our contracted city of Live Oak that resulted in a use of force incident," Barnes said. "As a result, I had requested that the district attorney's office review that incident to determine if there was any criminal wrongdoing on the part of our deputies. That investigation was completed and no criminal charges are being filed. My office then commissioned an administrative investigation to determine if there were any potential policy violations."

Barnes said that the administrative investigation has "neared its completion," but said he could not "discuss administrative outcomes." Barnes said the release of the videos was "done in the best interest of transparency and our valued relationship with our community."

Sierra Pedley with the Sutter County Sheriff's Office confirmed with the Appeal on Monday that the investigation was still ongoing. However, Pedley did say that Hungrige is "still employed with us, and he is on modified duty."