paulino garfias

Man Suspected of Assaulting Grandmother Attacks Officer While Being Detained; Officer Treated for Facial Bone Fracture

On Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at approximately 8:05 p.m., officers with the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) were dispatched to a residence in the 400 block of Walkam Place to investigate a report of a family disturbance. It was reported that the grandson of a 60-year-old woman pushed her twice during an argument, with the second and much harder push causing her to fall and hit her head on a wall. The fall resulted in a laceration to her forehead.

The woman’s grandson, Paulino Garfias, a 25-year-old resident of Santa Rosa, left the residence before police arrived. Garfias’s grandmother refused medical treatment at her residence, preferring a family member drive her to a hospital to receive treatment for the laceration caused during her fall.

As officers were responding to the residence, additional officers were searching the area for Garifas. Approximately five minutes after the incident was reported, an alert SRPD officer saw Garfias walking on the sidewalk on Dutton Avenue near the intersection with South Avenue. As the officer called out to the suspect, Garfias took a squatting stance and began waving his hands and extending his middle finger in an obscene gesture directed at the officer. The officer walked toward Garfias, calmly asking Garfias to come toward him, but the suspect began running away, south on Dutton Avenue.

The officer chased Garfias for approximately 200 feet and was able to tackle Garfias from behind to prevent his escape. Both the officer and Garfias fell to the ground. As the officer was attempting to gain control of the suspect, Garfias rolled on top of the officer and began violently punching him in the face multiple times. Garfias was able to get to his feet and began running away a second time.

Though the officer had sustained a significant facial fracture during the violent assault, he immediately began chasing the suspect, again giving Garfias commands to stop. Because Garfias refused to submit to arrest following two violent attacks, and the potential Garfias could violently assault additional people if not apprehended, the officer deployed his Taser Conducted Energy Device, temporarily incapacitating Garfias. Following the brief neuromuscular incapacitation caused by the Taser, the officer gave Garfias commands to remain on the ground. Additional officers arrived at the scene moments later and were able to successfully handcuff Garfias without incident.

The injured officer was transported to an area hospital to receive treatment for a fractured facial bone. The officer has since been released from the hospital but will be unable to return to work for an undetermined amount of time while he receives continued treatment for the injury.

Garfias, who was arrested by SRPD in 2018 for fighting with officers during a hit-and-run collision investigation, and again in 2020 for kicking and headbutting officers, was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for the following offenses:

243(c)(2) PC - Felony battery causing injury to a peace officer
69 PC - Felony resisting arrest 
242 PC - Misdemeanor battery of a person

Due to a fear Garfias’s violent attacks would continue if allowed out of custody, and his numerous previous arrests for assaulting peace officers, a bail enhancement of $100,000 was requested and approved. 

Santa Rosa Police Department case number 24-7443.
Media inquiries may be directed to Sgt. Patricia Seffens, Public Information Officer, at 707-543-3634 or [email protected]. 

…and you thought the police couldn't write. I added the red. Gene Roddenberry of Star Trek was an LAPD officer.
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