On Thursday, Nov. 18, 40-year-old Jordon Pas died in custody of the Santa Rosa Police Department after an incident in which Pas was shocked with a stun gun and detained.
According to the news release from the SRPD, authorities received numerous calls from local residents around 1:30 a.m Thursday morning, who reported hearing multiple gunshots and seeing a subject with a gun wandering around Peach Court in Roseland, Santa Rosa.
“Officers arrived on the scene and located a subject matching the description provided by multiple witnesses. The subject was now shirtless and sweating profusely in the cold of night… The man was holding what appeared to be a large landscaping rock in his hand. Officers contacted the man, and attempted to de-escalate the situation, but he would not comply with the officer’s directions,” read the report. “One officer used his taser to subdue the subject. The man fell to the ground. He continued to resist, but officers were able to place him into handcuffs and transfer him to his side.”
Witnesses claim to have heard a stun gun fire at Pas at least two times.
Not long after being detained, it is reported that Pas suffered from a medical emergency of sorts and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Further information on the exact cause of death will remain unknown until the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Unit completes their autopsy, a process which Sgt. Juan Valencia, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said it could take up to four to six weeks.
When authorities first arrived, Pas was seen holding a large rock, not a gun as reports had claimed. However, the area in which Pas had been seen roaming around was searched and authorities found drugs and a rifle, both believed to have belonged to Pas.
“A rifle was located in the area where the subject was detained, and there was evidence that gunshots had been fired in the same area. There was also evidence of controlled substances located at the scene near the subject. Witnesses confirmed that the subject detained by the officers was the same subject seen in possession of the rifle,” stated the SRPD news release.
According to officials, no residents or officers were injured during the incident.
An investigation into Pas’ death and the involvement of the SRPD is currently being conducted by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, and the SRPD is conducting an internal investigation of its own.
On Friday, Nov. 19, the day after Pas’ death, it was announced that eight of Santa Rosa officers and one of the sergeants involved in Pas’ arrest had been put on paid administrative leave.
In a quote for the Press Democrat, Santa Rosa Police Chief, Ray Navarro, assures full transparency on the investigation and the officers involved, “Nobody wants to have something like this happen,” said Navarro. “We want to be transparent in everything that we do and we know the community expects that of us.
The Department is expected to release further information on the investigation, including the names of the officers and body camera footage, within the next week or so.
