Cloverdale man arrested after accidental gunfire in scuffle with teen

A 43-year-old Cloverdale man was arrested after he inadvertently fired a gun while scuffling with a 17-year-old boy, Cloverdale police officials said Thursday.

The incident began when the 17-year-old, who wasn’t identified, confronted Derrick Samuel Brandt at his Merlot Street home, Cloverdale Police Chief Stephen Cramer said. The teen believed Brandt had vandalized his truck.

Brandt demanded the teen leave, and when the boy refused, he retrieved a Glock 30 .45-caliber sub-compact semiautomatic pistol, Cramer said. The teen again refused to leave, and they engaged in a “shoving match” during which Brandt inadvertently fired his gun into the air, according to police.

The teen fled and ran into an officer nearby. The officer said Brandt “was very contrite and admitted that the gun had inadvertently discharged,” Cramer said. No one was injured. Brandt was cited to appear Dec. 19 in Sonoma County Superior Court.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.