4 Rohnert Park officers cleared in death that followed use of Taser

Four Rohnert Park Public Safety officers were cleared Thursday of any wrongdoing in the death of a man who died after he was subdued by a Taser stun gun last year.

Guy James Fernandez, 42, died Nov. 9, 2008, from cardiac arrest caused by methamphetamine use, District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua said.

Fernandez's blood showed toxic levels of the drug at the time of an autopsy, reported Kelly Arthur, a forensic pathologist.

Arthur concluded that Fernandez' cardiac arrest was brought on by excited delirium syndrome caused by the drug, the district attorney's report said.

The officers involved included Sgt. Dale Utecht and Officers Jared Malec, Andrew Smith and Tara Douglas.

The officers tried to arrest Fernandez because they suspected he had shoplifted at a Walmart and assaulted several employees, Passalacqua said. Fernandez became combative and resisted arrest.

Officers used a Taser gun to subdue him and then tied him in a "maximum restraint device" with his legs tied to his waist to prevent kicking. It took four officers to restrain him, the report said.

Officers later noticed that Fernandez was short of breath and unresponsive and called for medical assistance. Paramedics were unable to revive him. Fernandez was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The district attorney's report found that the Taser gun had a low battery charge at the time. Medical examiners found no "Taser marks," the report said.