A Petaluma police officer spotted 34-year-old Francisco Perez walking in the area around 10 a.m. Sunday and immediately recognized him as a man with an active arrest warrant. What started as a conversation between the two men quickly turned physical, ending with officers deploying a Taser to take Perez into custody after he allegedly punched one of them in the face and bolted into a nearby business.
According to SFGATE, the officer approached Perez knowing about the outstanding warrant before the two spoke during the initial contact. Police allege Perez shoved the officer and ran on foot into a nearby business shortly after that conversation began, according to KRON4.
Chase Ends Inside a Local Business
Officers pursued Perez into the business, where the department alleges he resisted being taken into custody and punched an officer in the face. Petaluma police then used a Taser to subdue him and make the arrest, per the same account. Perez was booked on suspicion of battery on a police officer, resisting an officer, and on his outstanding warrant.
The specific nature of that warrant, the identity of the business where the struggle unfolded, and the condition of the officer struck in the face have not been disclosed. The Petaluma Police Department reported the arrest and the allegations against Perez but has not released further details on those points.
What California Law Says About Charges Like These
Under California law, battery against a peace officer that causes no injury is typically a misdemeanor under Penal Code 243(b), punishable by up to a year in county jail and fines up to $2,000, according to Eisner Gorin LLP. If the officer is injured, prosecutors can pursue a felony charge under PC 243(c)(2), carrying 16 months, two years, or three years in county jail and a $10,000 fine.
Separately, physically resisting or using force against an officer can be charged under Penal Code 69, a “wobbler” offense that lets prosecutors file it as either a misdemeanor or a felony carrying up to three years in state prison, per FindLaw. That distinguishes it from simple non-violent resistance, which is usually charged as a misdemeanor under Penal Code 148(a)(1). Whether Perez faces felony or misdemeanor counts will depend on the extent of any officer injury and decisions made by the Sonoma County District Attorney.
Booking and Court Proceedings Ahead
Perez would be transported and booked at the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Main Adult Detention Facility on Ventura Avenue in Santa Rosa, the standard booking location for arrests made within Petaluma, according to the Nieves Law Firm. Any criminal proceedings would move to the Sonoma County Superior Court, with hearings held at the Hall of Justice on Administration Drive in Santa Rosa, per NAMI Sonoma County.
Sunday's arrest is the subject of the accounts cited above. A separate Hoodline previously reported report is referenced here, but the details of any similar earlier incident are not established.
Taser Use and Training Considerations
Taser use involves legal, medical, and ethical considerations. The Petaluma Police Department operates under Police Chief Brian Miller, who has served with the department for more than two decades, according to the City of Petaluma. In 2021, the department also launched its Specialized Assistance For Everyone team, becoming the first Sonoma County agency to run a dedicated mobile crisis response unit for mental health and non-violent calls.
Petaluma remains the setting for the case. Whether the District Attorney will pursue felony or misdemeanor charges against Perez remains unresolved as the case moves toward arraignment.
