San Francisco District Attorney’s Office files numerous charges against San Francisco sheriff’s deputy

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San Francisco Sheriff’s Deputy Sheriff’s Deputy Dominic Barsetti was arrested after sexually assaulting a young woman and then threatening to shoot others while off-duty.

by Rachel Marshall, SF District Attorney’s Office

On Tuesday, Sept. 28, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced the filing of four felony charges and three misdemeanors against Dominic Barsetti, a San Francisco sheriff’s deputy. 

“The allegations in this case are outrageous and particularly troubling coming from someone we entrusted to wear a star and uniform. We will hold Deputy Barsetti accountable for his actions,” said District Attorney Boudin. “This case involves not only weapons, threats and vandalism, but also sexual misconduct.”

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office has charged Deputy Barsetti with four counts of felony criminal threats (Penal Code Section 422); one count of misdemeanor vandalism (Penal Code Section 594(b)(1); two counts of simple battery (Penal Code Section 242); and one count of misdemeanor sexual battery (Penal Code Section 243.4(e)(1).

On Sept. 23, 2021, at approximately 10:15 p.m., San Francisco Police Department officers responded to a 911 call of a man threatening to shoot people with a gun in the Park Merced area. When officers arrived, they spoke to people who told them that that the suspect – later identified as Dominic Barsetti, an off-duty deputy with the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department – had attended a potluck at their apartment earlier in the evening. 

“This case involves not only weapons, threats and vandalism, but also sexual misconduct.”

During that gathering, Deputy Barsetti allegedly sexually assaulted an 18-year-old victim by grabbing her inappropriately and pulling her hair. When confronted by the others, Deputy Barsetti picked up a guitar and began swinging it around the apartment, ripping down a curtain, damaging a bookcase, and breaking a tank containing a large lizard. 

It is alleged that Deputy Barsetti, who had shown the victims his collection of handguns earlier in the day, then threatened to get his gun and shoot each one of them. Deputy Barsetti returned to his apartment and two of the victims fled, fearing for their lives. 

When officers arrived on scene, Deputy Barsetti was taken into custody without incident. Deputy Barsetti appeared to have slurred speech and showed signs of intoxication. Officers executing a search warrant on his home found three handguns, several magazines of ammunition and an inert hand grenade. Those weapons were all confiscated.

Rachel Marshall is director of communications, policy adviser and assistant district attorney in the office of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. She can be reached by email at Rachel.Marshall@sfgov.org, by mail at 350 Rhode Island Street, North Building, Suite 400N San Francisco, CA 94103, and by phone at 628-652-4193 or 415-416-4468.