Fairfield, California – Fairfield has agreed to a $210,000 settlement in a lawsuit that accused city police officers of using excessive force during a 2019 traffic stop, which resulted in the violent arrest of a local couple who were reportedly trying to record the incident. The city council approved the settlement late last year in response to allegations made against Fairfield officers, including a former Vallejo officer previously associated with a scandal involving badge bending.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2021 by Vallejo residents Calvin and Jayme Rush, who claimed their civil rights were violated during the January 2019 traffic stop. According to the legal documents, the officers forcibly prevented the couple from filming their encounter with law enforcement. The incident reportedly began when the couple’s vehicle, displaying expired tags, was stopped and Calvin, who was without a driver’s license at the time, was ordered out of the car.
The complaint detailed that Officer Zachary Sandoval, together with an unnamed officer, escalated the encounter by physically restraining Calvin, allegedly throwing him to the ground and securing him in a four-figure leg lock. The documents further claimed that while Calvin was handcuffed and in a prone position, Sandoval struck him multiple times in the face.
Simultaneously, former Vallejo police officer Dustin Joseph is alleged to have slammed Jayme to the ground as she exited the vehicle to record the incident, purportedly to ensure her husband’s safety. The lawsuit contended that Joseph applied his full body weight onto Jayme, who had a history of back surgery and ongoing back issues. It was claimed Joseph then used his forearm to apply pressure on her neck, causing extreme pain and restricted breathing.
Both Calvin and Jayme Rush were initially charged with resisting arrest, but these charges were eventually dropped several months following the encounter. Prior to joining the Fairfield Police Department in 2019, Joseph had worked with the Vallejo Police Department since 2002, where he was implicated in various controversial incidents, including being named among officers who bent their badges in recognition of shooting incidents.
This badge-bending practice among Vallejo officers has been widely criticized as a disturbing ritualistic acknowledgment of fatal shootings. Further adding to his controversial record, Joseph was involved in two significant police shootings while in Vallejo. In one incident in 2012, he was one of the officers who fatally shot 23-year-old Mario Romero, causing widespread outcry from the community and a consequential $2 million settlement from the city of Vallejo.
Moreover, about six months after the Romero shooting, Joseph was again involved in a deadly incident where the police fatally shot William Heinze after he reportedly threatened to harm himself and others.
This settlement with the Rush couple comes at a time when both have a pending lawsuit against the Vallejo Police Department, alleging excessive force and false arrest in another unrelated incident. Police accountability and use of force continue to be pivotal issues, significantly impacting community trust in law enforcement across various cities, including Fairfield.
In addressing these concerns, local and national discussions are increasingly focused on police training, body camera policies, and the establishment of clearer protocols for law enforcement that safeguard civil liberties. It remains to be seen how these ongoing issues and legal actions will shape future policy and community relations in Fairfield and beyond.