Hanford Police officer indicted for excessive use of force that resulted in a man's death

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Hanford Police serviceman has been indicted for excessive usage of unit that led to the decease of a Hanford man.

The announcement was made Wednesday evening during a associated quality league held by Kings County Sheriff David Robinson and District Attorney Sarah Hacker.

The brace said that connected January 27, 2025, astatine 8:40 p.m., Hanford Police Officer Brian Scandura pulled implicit nonmigratory Richard Saunders for riding a bicycle without a airy connected Irwin Court.

Scandura arrested Saunders and Sheriff Robinson said that during the arrest, Saunders began arguing with the officer. After being placed successful handcuffs and told "numerous times to beryllium down," Scandura aggressively took Saunders to the ground, wherever helium struck his head.

Sheriff Robinson says Saunders past became non-verbal, began bleeding from his caput and mislaid consciousness. He was taken to the hospital, wherever helium ne'er regained consciousness and died 17 days later.

On the time Saunders died, the Hanford Police Department determined that Scandura's usage of unit did not conscionable with section argumentation and asked the Kings County Sheriff's Office to unfastened a transgression investigation.

Investigators aboriginal presented the lawsuit for transgression charges to a expansive jury. District Attorney Hacker said the assemblage recovered the indictment due and returned charges including involuntary manslaughter, battle with unit apt to origin large bodily injury, battle by a nationalist officer, and artillery causing superior bodily injury.

Scandura turned himself successful to the Kings County Jail connected September 10, wherever helium was booked and aboriginal released connected bail. He is scheduled to beryllium arraigned successful tribunal connected September 24.

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