The Del Norte County sheriff is disputing an excessive use of force accusation against one of his bailiffs.
The allegation was posted on Facebook on Tuesday and is related to the removal of a Reno, Nev. woman from a family court hearing at the Del Norte County Courthouse on Monday. Sheriff Garrett Scott told Redwood Voice Community News on Wednesday that he is asking the Del Norte County District Attorney to criminally charge Amanda Dutton and Jordan Dutton.
According to Scott, Amanda Dutton was disrupting the proceedings in the courtroom and refused to leave when one of his deputies, Luisa Ahumada, ordered her to. Ahumada escorted Amanda Dutton from the courtroom and into the hallway where they were met by Ahumada’s colleague, Dep. Jeremy Sutton, the sheriff said.
“They both tried to put the suspect in handcuffs and she fights and kicks and they struggle with her for a little while,” Scott said. “Finally, the suspect gets more elevated and continues kicking and fighting and kicks Dep. Sutton at least one, possibly, two times. It appears Dep. Ahumada was struck as well. Ultimately they got her into handcuffs and escorted her out.”
Jordan Dutton was also arrested on suspicion of obstruction and threatening deputies, the sheriff said.
In a Facebook message to Redwood Voice Community News on Tuesday, Amanda Dutton said Dep. Sutton kicked her in the back “after being told by multiple witnesses I had just had spine surgery.”
In her Facebook post on Tuesday, Lorri Dutton states that the male bailiff slammed Amanda Dutton into the ground and “continued to throw the lady around the lobby area for roughly 30 minutes. The sounds of yelling and banging were so loud they could clearly be heard from inside the courtroom.”
In addition to arresting Jordan Dutton, who, according to Lorri Dutton, wanted to ensure his wife’s safety, the bailiff threatened bystanders telling them “you need to leave or you’re going to go to jail too.”
“The victim was taken to jail and was not released until Tuesday afternoon,” Lorri Dutton stated. “As a result of this manhandling, she has bruises covering her body and has lost feeling in her leg.”
Review of surveillance footage from the Del Norte County courthouse as well as body camera footage from Ahumed showed Amanda Dutton sitting in the front row of the courtroom. According to the body camera footage, Amanda Dutton was interrupting the proceedings, Ahumed warned her multiple times to stop.
When Ahumed approached Amanda Dutton, Amanda Dutton told her to “get away from me.”
Dep. Sutton met Ahumed and Amanda Dutton in the hallway outside the courtroom. Despite being told to calm down, Amanda Dutton continued to struggle with the bailiffs, prompting Dep. Sutton to try to do a “control takedown,” according to the sheriff.
The “control takedown” looked like a kick to Amanda Dutton’s thigh. The sheriff said that Dep. Sutton was “off balance.”
“The idea is if somebody’s resisting you, what you want to do is to get them on the ground,” Scott told Redwood Voice.
Video footage shows the female subject kick and struggle when she’s on the ground prompting Ahumed to retrieve leg shackles, according to the sheriff. Redwood Voice has requested copies of all video footage of the incident.
In her Facebook post, Lorri Dutton calls on the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors and leadership at the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the incident.
