A Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputy accused of driving a patrol vehicle drunk to a Willits bar, crashing it into a guardrail, and then failing to report the damage, has officially been charged with multiple misdemeanors.
Deputy Marcis Robert McCarty was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on Sunday, May 25, and released less than an hour later. Also booked and released at the same time was co-defendant Davina Rose Gurley, who faces a single misdemeanor DUI charge stemming from the same night.
The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office has filed three misdemeanor charges against McCarty: driving under the influence of alcohol, vandalism causing more than $400 in damage, and failing to stop and report a collision. Prosecutors allege that while intoxicated, McCarty was driving 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. That same night, he was also involved in an incident that resulted in $1,256.48 in damage to a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He then allegedly left the scene without notifying the owner or law enforcement.
Gurley is not accused of speeding, property damage, or fleeing the scene. Her sole charge is misdemeanor DUI.
The alleged misconduct occurred on April 25. Internal investigators flagged the incident the following morning, when a sheriff’s sergeant noticed significant damage to a patrol vehicle parked at the Willits substation.
According to Sheriff Matt Kendall, surveillance footage showed McCarty hitting a guardrail while off duty, continuing on to a local bar where he drank, and then driving the damaged vehicle home later that night.
McCarty did not report the crash or file the required damage report with the county. “He bought the ticket; he’s going to take the ride,” Sheriff Kendall said in prior coverage of the incident, describing the conduct as a “blatant violation” of department policy, which limits use of patrol vehicles to official duties and requires immediate reporting of any damage.
McCarty has been placed on paid administrative leave, and his peace officer powers have been suspended. He joined the department in June 2022 and had worked in both patrol and corrections. Sheriff Kendall said in earlier comments that there were no prior alcohol-related incidents involving McCarty but emphasized that accountability is essential in law enforcement. When reached for follow-up, Kendall declined to comment further, citing ongoing litigation.
McCarty and Gurley are scheduled to be arraigned on June 2 at 9 a.m. in Mendocino County Superior Court in Ukiah.
Previous Coverage
Pretty bold behavior.
Choosing the charges vs charging for what happened. Hmmm. Not sure that is policy or following the vehicle code. Typical response. Lax consequences support further bad actions. May McCarty learn better behavior from his actions.
I thought Law Enforcement was supposed to be setting an example for the rest of us to follow.
No, they’re hired goons for the state.
He will plea to something minor, resign and get a job with Lake County Sheriff or another PD. Kendall will give him a glowing reference and give the aw shucks routine to his new boss like he’s just a kid who had to learn his lessons. There will be some story about a Bible, an old yellow dog and bowl of cherries that Matt will whip up over the phone and we will never hear anything more from them.
LMFAO you obviously don’t know this sheriff. He may seem friendly but he’s not friends with his employees trust me on that one.
Whenever I hear stories like this, that note the offender has been placed on “paid administrative leave” it always irks me. This offense was the OPPOSITE of how an officer should conduct themselves, and there is video footage proving this. WHY aren’t they just FIRED? I mean, if I had received a ticket for example, I certainly wouldn’t feel good to learn that this particular officer was the one that had stopped me for a traffic violation…
30 days to finally charge this clown for something that would’ve landed anyone else in jail & charged in mere minutes. “Investigation”? Take it easy CSI: UKIAH. You’re all worse criminals than the ones you arrest!
???
If this happened to be a civilian the circumstances would be much different. You could be sure that:
Eyster would be prosecuting these charges as felonies rather than misdemeanors,
A civilian would have been charged in thirty minutes, not thirty days,
A civilian who drives as part of their occupation would not only lose their job but would not receive thirty days paid leave while their employer “figures it out”
A civilian would have their name released within days if not hours of the offense.
When double-standards apply, it’s no wonder that the general population’s trust in law enforcement has waned over the last few decades. I am usually against the expanse of bureaucracy but law enforcement needs more oversight and accountability, especially from within. And don’t you dare disobey their orders for even a split-second or you might get shot by a cowardly, trigger-happy cop, who will get paid leave for far longer than it takes for your family to receive the bill from the morgue and cemetery for putting your body in the ground.
And do you remember last year when the other sheriff was arrested for doing naughty things and using his gun to make women do other things to him and also had drugs in his locker, etc. etc. he got a whole two years probation. What do you think a civilian would’ve gotten Life in prison, what a joke
Don’t know how they are going to prove dui beyond a reasonable doubt. We know he was drunk, but is there enough proof that he was drunk at the time of the collision?
“Drunk driving” isn’t a crime- look it up. It’s “driving under the influence fluency” and you have to show that he was drunk at”so impaired he couldn’t operate the vehicle with the care of a sober prudent person.” Just a video and accounts isn’t enough…did people observe him? Did they see him drunk? Can they describe how he was acting? Did they see him stumble and drive? I’m betting it’s hard to show.
This is misdemeanor conduct for anyone (except those with prior duis and vehicular manslaughter convictions) so this deputy is being treated the same as anyone else. Also, they charged him with a FELONY- if they were taking it easy they wouldn’t do this.
Also, POBR means the deputy can’t be fired per law- administrative leave until convicted then he can be fired after investigations run their course
It’s almost as if alcohol is a terrible drug that’s legal and has a hold on everyone.
Why does this website never post local AA information after articles about authorities using substances. If the authorities can take the first step in admitting powerlessness over alcohol then what hope do the rest of us have? This cop should be in required rehab and attend meetings.