High-risk sex offender accused of threatening Santa Rosa officer back in jail

A high-risk sex offender on parole was back in custody Monday after threatening a Santa Rosa police officer, according to Santa Rosa police.

State parole contacted officers at 9:50 p.m. Sunday reporting Joseph Sheard’s parole ankle bracelet had quit signaling his location. Sheard, 51, is a transient with a history of sex offense convictions and was required to wear the device, according to police.

The device stopped working when the man was near Bennett Valley Road and Highway 12 and officers found him in that area. When an officer tried to stop him, the man put his hands up in a fighting stance and made comments to the officer to the effect of “‘this is going to end bad for you,’” police Sgt. Mike Clark wrote in an email.

When the man continued to ignore police commands and warnings that a police dog would be set loose, the officer sent K-9 “Kolt” who latched onto one arm and held him for officers. Sheard was wearing multiple layers and the dog’s bite bruised the man, Clark said.

The man still wore the ankle bracelet and why it had stopped working wasn’t clear, Clark said.

Sheard was arrested on suspicion of breaking his parole and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail without bail because of the parole violation.

- Randi Rossmann