A Vancouver police officer charged with misdemeanor assault — after she was captured on video threatening to use her Taser on a man’s genitals — has entered a not-guilty plea after waiving formal arraignment.
Officer Andrea Mendoza, 38, is charged with fourth-degree assault, a gross misdemeanor, in Clark County District Court. Trial has not yet been scheduled, court records show.
The Vancouver Police Department last month released a video summary of the May 21 incident, including police body-worn camera footage and store surveillance video. In a statement, Vancouver Police Chief Jeff Mori called Mendoza’s actions disturbing.
Local advocacy groups, including the YWCA Clark County and the NAACP of Vancouver, also released statements condemning Mendoza’s actions.
All use-of-force incidents are reviewed by supervisors, the police department said, and on May 24, Mendoza’s supervisor notified the chief. She was subsequently placed on leave, a police news release states.
The police department opened an internal investigation and referred the case to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for independent review.
On July 20, the sheriff’s office forwarded its investigation to the prosecutor’s office for review. The prosecutor’s office filed the assault charge July 25, according to the police news release.
The police guild previously criticized the prosecutor’s office for charging Mendoza.
Mendoza and Officer Gabriel Patterson responded shortly before 10 p.m. May 21 to the Walmart at 221 N.E. 104th Ave., in central Vancouver. Loss prevention employees requested officers issue trespass notices to a man and woman whom they said they saw conceal merchandise and leave without paying, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in Mendoza’s case.
When they arrived, the officers approached two people who matched the pair’s description and told them they weren’t free to leave, the police news release states. One officer grabbed the man, whom they identified as Elijah Guffey-Prejean, and the woman with him ran, according to the affidavit.
The two officers and Guffey-Prejean can be seen going to the ground, and a struggle ensues. At one point, Guffey-Prejean punched an officer in the face and kicked the other in the chest, according to the police news release. Patterson is later seen in the video rubbing his face.
The video shows the officers grappling with Guffey-Prejean as he tries to flee, before Patterson takes him back to the ground on his stomach. Mendoza can be seen using her Taser on Guffey-Prejean’s back, and he’s heard groaning before eventually saying, “I’m done.”
Guffey-Prejean is seen rolling onto his back, and Mendoza presses the Taser to his genitals. At one point, the officer tells him she will use the stun gun on his genitals if he doesn’t stop. Guffey-Prejean can be heard repeating, “I’m done.”
Investigators determined Mendoza held the Taser to Guffey-Prejean’s genitals for 24 seconds, court records state.
Third-degree assault and third-degree theft charges against Guffey-Prejean were later dismissed, according to court records.
