Photo: Thunderhawk Gutierrez
Santa Barbara County – Even the most cursory reading of the best-selling yet imaginary guidebook “How to Behave While You’re in Jail” may have given 28-year-old Santa Maria resident Thunderhawk Gutierrez a moment of reflection before he conducted himself in a manner sure to be detrimental to his law school application.
If he was aware of the behaviors proscribed by even the most rudimentary notions of common sense, Gutierrez may have controlled the overwhelming impulse he apparently felt to drive his fist into the face of the uniformed deputy responsible for his safety and conduct while a guest at the ever-popular Santa Barbara County Jail. It was early in the evening of March 8th when the unnamed deputy was, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover, “removing Gutierrez from his housing unit.”
While he was being escorted from the housing unit, Gutierrez suddenly “attacked the deputy and punched him in the face,” inflicting injuries that later required treatment at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Injured or not at the time of the incident, the custody deputy “and another responding officer” eventually brought Gutierrez to his senses and forcibly restrained him.
Whatever Gutierrez was in jail for in the first place, those charges have now been compounded by The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office with the fling of additional charges of battery on a police officer, assault likely to cause great bodily injury, and resisting an executive officer.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
