Shooting by Stanislaus deputy was his second in three months
The shooting of a man early Sunday at a home southwest of Modesto was the second such incident in three months for the same Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy.
The Sheriff's Department on Monday identified Christopher Hendee, a five-year law enforcement veteran, as the deputy who fired on a man when deputies responded to a report of domestic violence on the 1700 block of Vivian Road.
Alex Barber identified himself as the man shot and said he was not armed nor threatening deputies. The Sheriff's Department has not identified the man shot nor released details about the shooting. It reported Hendee is on paid administrative leave which is standard protocol.
The Sheriff’s Department is conducting criminal and administrative investigations into the domestic-violence report and subsequent shooting. The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent review of the shooting.
Sheriff Adam Christianson confirmed that on Aug. 5, Hendee also shot a suspect who physically confronted the deputy following a traffic stop and brief chase in Knights Ferry.
Twain Harte resident Russell Garcia, 28, was hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Hendee, who suffered minor injuries, was treated and released from a nearby hospital.
The department never announced what led to Hendee making contact — response to a 911 call, observation of suspicious activity, or other. Stanislaus County Superior Court records show Garcia pleaded no contest to a felony count of obstructing or resisting an officer and a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.
The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office conducted a review of that shooting as well. "The defendant in the Knights Ferry incident, Russell Garcia, was convicted of a felony violation of Penal Code 69: A willful and unlawful attempt, by means of any threat or violence, to deter or prevent an executive officer from performing his or her lawful duty," said DA's Office Spokesman John Goold in an email Tuesday. "Deputy Hendee’s use of force was determined to be lawful as evidenced by the filing of criminal charges and Garcia's subsequent conviction."
Christianson also confirmed that Hendee previously was a Modesto police officer.
On Aug. 8, 2015, Hendee was the officer who took a missing-person report that eventually led to the city paying a $25,000 claim. The missing man, Doug Cline, had suffered a head injury several years earlier that left him cognitively impaired.
Because the 61-year-old was an “at-risk” missing person, Hendee was required within one hour to issue what is called a “be on the lookout” alerting other Modesto officers.
The officer failed to do so, the Police Department said. Cline was assaulted while missing and died Aug. 15, 2015, from his injuries.
This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Shooting by Stanislaus deputy was his second in three months."