Sonoma County’s civilian oversight office faulted sheriff’s deputies in the fatal 2022 shooting of David Pelaez Chavez, saying there is evidence the use of force may not have been reasonable.
In its investigative report finalized on Aug. 8, the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach said that “substantial evidence suggests that it may have been unreasonable” for the deputy, Michael Dietrick, to believe Chavez posed an imminent threat when he fired three shots that killed him.
Chavez, 36, was chased by deputies on July 29, 2022, after reports that he had broken a bedroom window with a rock, stolen a truck and dragged its driver about 20 feet before fleeing on foot. The pursuit began along state Highway 128 near Healdsburg and continued for more than 45 minutes through fields, vineyards and a creek bed before deputies cornered him…