Suspect dies in Santa Rosa police custody after being tased

A suspect said to be firing shots around a Santa Rosa neighborhood died from an apparent medical emergency during his arrest early Thursday morning, according to police.

At 1:19 a.m., police responded to several residents’ reports of a man firing a shotgun in the area of Peach Court off Corby Avenue.

Upon arriving to the scene, officers found a man matching witness descriptions. He was found shirtless, holding a large rock and “sweating profusely in the cold of night,” police said in a news release.

Officers attempted deescalation methods, and after the subject refused to comply, an officer used a Taser stun gun on him, according to police, who said he continued to resist as he was put into handcuffs.

Officers said he then suffered a medical emergency shortly after he was arrested. After being transported to a hospital, the suspect was pronounced dead. His name hasn’t been released.

Upon further investigation, officers said they found a rifle and controlled substances in the area. Witnesses also confirmed the man under arrest to be the same person who was carrying the rifle. No residents were injured by the shots fired, according to police.

The suspect’s death has prompted an independent investigation from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, along with an administrative review from the Santa Rosa Police Department to determine if officers followed proper protocol.

Santa Rosa police will later release all body camera footage within state guidelines for police transparency, as well as the names of the officers, the department said.