Deputy accused of Taser assault
An Orange County sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on suspicion of abusing his authority by using a Taser gun on a handcuffed suspect in his patrol car last year.
Christopher Hibbs, 45, of Corona was indicted by an Orange County grand jury Sept. 10 on two felony assault charges. The indictment was unsealed Friday.
The case stems from the arrest and conviction of Ignacio Gomez Lares, 31, on weapons charges. Lares was arrested Sept. 13, 2007, after being stopped for walking in public with an open beer bottle.
Prosecutors say Hibbs unlawfully used a Taser on Lares after he repeatedly misidentified himself as Ignacio Gomez. .
Hibbs has been on administrative leave since prosecutors began investigating the incident earlier this year.
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