Kings County Sheriff's sergeant arrested and booked on domestic violence charges

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Kings County Sheriff's deputy was on the other side of the law on Wednesday, after Lemoore Police arrested and booked 34-year-old Juan Antonio Ruiz on domestic violence charges.

Lemoore Police Department and the Kings County Sheriff's Office declined an interview with Action News.

The sheriff's office confirms Ruiz is a sergeant and was placed on administrative leave, pending their internal affairs investigation.

The Lemoore Police Department is also conducting its investigation.

They say per protocol, Ruiz was booked into his workplace, the only jail in Kings County.

The Kings County District Attorney, Sarah Hacker, says she can't comment on the case but shared, "Our law enforcement is held to a higher standard because they are the ones enforcing the law and our public trusts them to conduct a manner that is consistent with complying with the law."

Those standards are set by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

"If they violate that standard, there are consequences, and part of that is with their certification of their license to be a police officer; part of that can be criminal consequences. Another part of that is, it affects their credibility as an officer when they come and testify in court," Hacker explains.

Hacker adds that domestic violence cases are taken very seriously, but their investigations can present challenges.

"Oftentimes, we don't have witnesses to these types of events. All we see, or all we hear about, is the 9-1-1 call or the injuries that one of the people have suffered during this type of event. Domestic violence cases do present their own challenges."

Hacker continues, "We as a community need to stand up against it and take no tolerance towards these types of actions."

The Lemoore Police Department says it could take days, weeks, or even months to file appropriate charges, depending on where their investigation and witness interviews lead.

Once an initial report is submitted to the District Attorney's office they will review and determine if charges are appropriate.

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