San Francisco DA Boudin Files Charges Against SF Sheriff's Deputy Accused of Sexual Assault, Threats
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced numerous charges Tuesday against a San Francisco sheriff's deputy who allegedly sexually assaulted a teen at a gathering last week and threatened to shoot multiple people after being confronted.
The incident happened last Thursday evening, at approximately 10:15 p.m., according to police. Officers responded to a 911 call of a man threatening to shoot people with a gun in the Park Merced neighborhood. Arriving officers learned that the suspect -- later identified as San Francisco Sheriff's Deputy Dominic Barsetti, who was off-duty at the time -- was attending a potluck dinner at an apartment. Barsetti had allegedly sexually assaulted an 18 year-old woman, grabbing her inappropriately and pulling her hair.
When confronted by people at the gathering, Barsetti allegedly picked up a guitar and began swinging it around the apartment, ripping down a curtain, damaging a bookcase, and breaking a tank containing a large lizard. Witnesses told authorities he then "threatened to get his gun and shoot each one of them." Barsetti had showed victims his collection of handguns earlier in the day, witnesses said.
Barsetti returned to his apartment and two of the victims fled, fearing for their lives. Arriving officers were able to take the suspect into custody with incident. Authorities said Deputy Barsetti appeared to have slurred speech and showed signs of intoxication. Officers executing a search warrant on his home found three handguns, several magazines of ammunition, and an inert hand grenade. Authorities confiscated all of the weapons.
The San Francisco District Attorney's Office is filing four felony charges and three misdemeanors against Barsetti. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
"The allegations in this case are outrageous, and particularly troubling coming from someone we entrusted to wear a star and uniform. We will hold Deputy Barsetti accountable for his actions," said District Attorney Boudin in a press release. "This case involves not only weapons, threats, and vandalism, but also sexual misconduct."
Barsetti faces four counts of felony criminal threats, a count of misdemeanor vandalism, two counts of simple battery, and one count of misdemeanor sexual battery.
So far, there has been no word regarding possible disciplinary action by the San Francisco Sheriff's Department in the case.
