A Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested Sunday evening on suspicion of domestic violence after a neighbor called the Ukiah Police Department, Chief Cedric Crook confirmed.
According to the UPD press logs, an officer responded to the 900 block of North Pine Street around 9:40 p.m. on Jan. 12 when a caller reported a domestic disturbance at the residence of Alexander S. Thong, 36, who is employed as an MCSO deputy.
“It was determined that there was probable cause to arrest (the suspect for alleged domestic violence),” said Crook, explaining that Thong was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence due to there being a “visible, traumatic injury” to the victim, whom he described only as a woman Thong was romantically involved with.
Crook added that his officers had responded to previous incidents recently involving Thong, but could not disclose further details.
Thong was booked into Mendocino County Jail Jan. 12 on suspicion of felony domestic battery and held on $25,000 bail before being released the next day.
MCSO spokesman Capt. Quincy Cromer confirmed that Thong is still employed as a deputy, though he was previously placed on administrative leave Jan. 2, more than a week before his arrest. When asked why Thong was already on leave, Cromer said he was prohibited from discussing personnel matters.
When asked about prior arrests of Thong, or if there had been any misconduct allegations against him, Cromer said he could not disclose further details, citing both the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act and two state laws (SB 1421 and SB 2) that limit the amount of information agencies can release regarding peace officers’ records.
Cromer could disclose that Thong was hired by the MCSO in June of 2017 as an animal control officer, then hired as a deputy sheriff in December of 2017. In terms of his current employment status, Cromer said that the MCSO will conduct an “investigation into the circumstances leading up to his being placed on leave,” and will release whatever information it can once the investigation is concluded.
(Ukiah Daily Journal)
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