Judge dismisses Andy Lopez protesters’ excessive force lawsuit against Sonoma County deputies

A federal judge quashed an excessive force lawsuit lodged by four Santa Rosa residents against the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

The civil rights lawsuit was filed in February 2015 by Jose Luis Godoy and three teen girls involved in protests over the 2013 shooting of Andy Lopez.

In a July 22 decision, U.S. District Judge William Orrick said he was unconvinced by the arguments that Godoy and the others were unfairly targeted and subjected to excessive force on Jan. 9, 2014.

Responding to a report of a man with a gun, deputies detained and handcuffed Godoy, who was 24 at the time, and the teen girls in front of a crowd of onlookers in Santa Rosa’s Moorland neighborhood.

Orrick said the officers’ actions were “normal handcuffing procedure” and “don’t meet excessive force.” The judge granted the county’s request for summary judgment, ending the lawsuit.

Law enforcement said they detained Godoy and the teens after a citizen called 911 to report that a driver had pointed a gun at him.

The caller chose Godoy out of a photo lineup and gave a partial vehicle license plate that matched Godoy’s vehicle, according to court documents.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.