Off-Duty CHP Officer Found Guilty Of Felony Firearm, Vandalism Offenses: Sonoma County DA

Press release from the Sonoma County Government:

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A jury of six women and six men deliberated for three hours Friday before finding Jeremy Finnerty, 49 years old of Santa Rosa, guilty of felony brandishing a firearm at a motor vehicle, felony vandalism, and misdemeanor resisting a police officer following a week-plus jury trial before the Honorable Shelly J. Averill in Sonoma County Superior Court.

The evidence at trial established that, on August 16, 2019, on Parktrail Drive in southeast Santa Rosa, an intoxicated Finnerty approached a vehicle driven by a neighbor, pointed a firearm at the vehicle, and threatened to kill whoever was inside. Finnerty then approached the neighbor’s home, made further threatening statements, and broke a door window, while the neighbor’s spouse was inside. When Santa Rosa Police Department officers responded, Finnerty resisted their efforts to detain and place him into a patrol vehicle. At the time of these offenses, Finnerty was an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer.

District Attorney Jill Ravitch stated, “the jury did the right thing by holding Mr. Finnerty responsible for violating the law.”

Finnerty is due to be sentenced in court by Judge Averill on July 20, 2021. He faces up to three years, eight months in state prison for the felony firearm and vandalism offenses, and one year in county jail for resisting a police officer.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Bertz, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Robyn Fuentes. The Santa Rosa Police Department headed the investigation.

This press release was produced by the Sonoma County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.