Prosecutors dropped a criminal charge against a woman whose arrest went viral after a Riverside County sheriff's deputy entered her home without a warrant, told her he now "owned" the house and tackled her after an argument.
Adele Shirey had been charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer. The July 4 incident began when a deputy entered her home through a seemingly closed door to investigate a noise complaint. Shirey lives in the French Valley area in southwestern Riverside County.
That charge was dismissed at the request of the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, an office spokesperson said, and the case against Shirey appears to be over. The DA's spokesperson did not answer a question about why the charge was dropped, and the sheriff's department did not respond to a request for comment.
Neither prosecutors nor the sheriff addressed questions about whether the dismissal means Deputy Martin Huizar had no cause to arrest Shirey or suggests his actions were improper.
‘I own your house right now’
Shirey was arrested on July 4 in an incident that was filmed by other people in the home and later posted to YouTube. What appears to be the original video has so far gained around 23,000 views, but versions of it have spread through social media and gained more popularity. Another YouTube channel that focuses on police issues obtained additional footage and posted a video of the incident which has gained around 527,000 views.
In the additional footage, more details of the incident came to light. Huizar first rings the doorbell before the door is open and closed by an unknown person inside the house. The deputy, who had been standing a few steps away, reopens the door and enters the house.
He then stands just within the threshold of the door when he is confronted by Shirey, who says she will talk to him outside. Huizar points to people who are filming the encounter and says he is inside the house because "they opened the door and ran from me."
"Now that I'm inside your house, I own your house right now," he tells Shirey in the video.
Shirey shouts at the deputy to leave her house, telling him her dog will bite him if she asks. During the confrontation, Shirey points to the deputy and leans closer to him, but does not touch him, at which point he grabs her and drags her outside to put her in handcuffs.
Additional deputies then arrive to interview the other members of the household. At first, Shirey claims they are minors, but two later admit to being 18 and 19. The deputies appear to suspect underage drinking, saying at one point they could see bottles of alcohol from the doorway.
The other house residents claim the bottles had been used by guests of Shirey who had later left.
Many of the comments beneath the videos have criticized the officer's conduct, claiming he violated Shirey's civil rights.
A website called Brady List, run by a private organization that tracks complaints against officers, shows a complaint was filed Sept. 6 against Huizar.
The Sheriff's Office also began an investigation into the incident when the video started to gain popularity online.
"The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office did not receive any complaints of misconduct or wrongdoing concerning this incident before it was posted to social media," the sheriff's department told The Desert Sun in early September. "A thorough investigation will be completed to include an administrative investigation to determine if discipline is warranted."
Because sheriff's department spokespeople did not respond to follow-up questions this week, the status of that investigation was not clear.