SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco District Attorney, Chesa Boudin announced the refiling of charges on Thursday, May 27 against two Alameda County deputies for the beating of Stanislov Petrov in 2015.
The charges surfaced from an incident that happened on November 12, 2015 in which Alameda County deputies Luis Santamaria and Paul Wieber pursued a high-speed vehicle chase. The two deputies face charges of Assault by a Public Officer, Battery with Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault with a Deadly Weapon, according to a news release.
“My office has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to police accountability when officers break the law and, at the same time, we also work to quickly exonerate officers who behaved lawfully,” stated DA Boudin in a news release.
Deputies Santamaria and Wieber chased Petrov across the Bay Bridge into San Francisco into an unincorporated area of Alameda County. The chase ended in Stevenson Valley where the two deputies chased Petrov on foot. Petrov slowed down and waved his hands in surrender when deputies Santamaria and Wieber allegedly beat him with their fists and batons 30 times. Petrov suffered injuries to his body and had major lacerations to his head, multiple broken bones, and was bleeding profusely.
“We continue to pursue accountability for these deputies for the unjustified and unconscionable beating of an unarmed man,” said Boudin.
The case was close to reaching trial in March 2020, but a key prosecution witness was not able to attend for medical reasons. The court denied the prosecution’s request for continuance and moved the case to “first dismissal” which allowed for the case to be refiled now.
