Northern California officer arrested for alleged excessive force

ROCKLIN - A Northern California police officer was arrested for allegedly using his baton to assault a man suspected of driving drunk, authorities said.

Rocklin Police Officer Brad Alford was taken into custody Tuesday and booked into Placer County jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm, assault under the color of authority and filing a false police report, said Rocklin Police Chief Chad Butler.

The investigation into the 41-year-old Alford started on Sunday, when he and other officers arrested a DUI suspect and Alford "used a baton in a manner that appeared to be excessive," Butler said.

Concerned officers talked to their superiors about the arrest of the unidentified man and, after reviewing video footage recorded with body and patrol cameras, Butler said he requested the Placer County District Attorney's Office conduct an investigation.

The district attorney's office on Tuesday determined that Alford's actions "rose to a criminal level."

"There is no excusable reason for unethical or illegal conduct," Butler said. "You can be certain this matter will be investigated swiftly and thoroughly."

Butler said the department will not release video footage of the incident at this time due to the investigation.

The victim was taken to a hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injures and after he was cleared by medical staff, he was taken to jail on charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest, and failure to yield, said Rocklin Police spokesman Lt. Scott Horrillo.

Horrillo said he couldn't release details on the extent of the man's injuries due to privacy laws.

Horrillo said he does not know if Alford has retained a defense attorney. A woman who answered the phone at the Placer County Jail said she couldn't release any information about inmates.