A San Francisco Sheriff's deputy is facing four felony charges after allegedly threatening a group of people who confronted him for sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman at a potluck last week, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
The San Francisco District Attorney's Office charged Dominic Barsetti, 32, with four counts of felony criminal threats, two counts of simple battery, one count of misdemeanor sexual battery and one count of misdemeanor battery.
"The allegations in this case are outrageous, and particularly troubling coming from someone we entrusted to wear a star and uniform," District Attorney Chesa Boudin said in a release. "We will hold Deputy Barsetti accountable for his actions."
Officials said that Barsetti, who was off duty, attended a potluck at a Parkmerced apartment on Sept. 23. Witnesses told officers with the San Francisco Police Department that Barsetti "inappropriately" grabbed the 18-year-old woman and pulled her hair. Barsetti then picked up and swung a guitar when he was confronted about the incident, damaging a curtain, a bookcase and breaking a "large" lizard's tank.
The victims alleged Barsetti threatened to shoot them with his gun, hours after he had shown them his collection of handguns. Two victims then fled, and police later arrested Barsetti "without incident." He "appeared" to slur his words "and showed signs of intoxication," according to officials.
Barsetti was booked into Marin County Jail on Friday morning after being arrested in San Francisco the previous night, according to county booking records. Officers found three handguns, "several magazines of ammunition" and an inert grenade in his home while executing a search warrant.
Barsetti was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, and a spokesperson with the District Attorney's Office told Bay Area News Group the hearing will occur Wednesday because Barsetti's lawyer was unable to appear in court on Tuesday.
A Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed to KCBS Radio that Barsetti has been placed on administrative leave, pending "the criminal investigation process" and "the results of the trial."
"We will investigate this matter thoroughly once the criminal justice process has concluded," Acting Director of Communications Christian Kropff said.
