Full Notification

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Detectives are releasing new information into an officer involved shooting that occurred last night in Bodega Bay. Shortly after 8:00 PM a deputy and a CHP Officer were dispatched to a disturbance in Bodega Bay with multiple injured people that ended with a Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff shooting a 32-year-old man.
 
Detectives responded and after questioning numerous witnesses and collecting video evidence they have learned the following. The suspect, 32-year-old San Francisco resident Betai Koffi, was with five longtime friends who had rented a Bodega Bay home for the Independence Day holiday. They arrived at the home in the 600 block of Swan Drive on Wednesday July 3^rd.
 
On July 4^th at about noon Koffi consumed 2 doses of a drug commonly referred to as LSD or acid, a known dangerous hallucinogenic drug. At approximately 3:00 PM Koffi became delusional around the home while his friends tried to keep him calm. Between 4:00 and 5:00 PM, he took two more doses of LSD.  Shortly before 8:00 PM Koffi wanted to leave but his friends tried to stop him.
 
Koffi punched a woman in the chest and side, then stabbed a man with a pencil, and choked another man, and punched another man in the face. Koffi was able to get outside the home and got into his rental car, a blue Hyundai sedan, and tried to back out of the driveway, only to hit another car that was parked behind him. Koffi put the car in drive and drove towards one of the men, who was able to get out of the way, then drove the car into the garage of the home, lodging it into the home.
 
Koffi then exited the car and ran down the street to a home several doors down where he was confronted by a security guard. Upon questioning, Koffi picked up a landscape light and stabbed the guard in the chest with the metal stake end and knocked the security guard to the ground; he was unable to get back up.
 
Koffi then went to the security guard’s truck, which was unlocked and running, and stole the truck, driving away at high speed. As he fled, he drove straight towards an unrelated man and woman walking on the road. Koffi drove straight towards the pair and violently hit the woman with the truck causing significant injuries. The man was struck on the arm but was not seriously injured. He then immediately drove off the road and drove after another man and woman who were walking on a bluff. He aimed at the woman and hit her with the truck, causing significant injuries.
 
Koffi continued driving off road, hit a wall, entered a side yard of a home, then drove back out onto Pelican Loop Road.  A deputy arrived in a patrol car and stopped in the street as a CHP Officer pulled up to the left of the Sheriff’s Car. Koffi turned the truck and accelerated towards the two patrol cars and drove straight towards the officers. The deputy, who had exited his patrol car attempting to  get out of the way fired several rounds at Koffi but he continued to accelerate, colliding into the CHP officer’s car. Koffi continued to accelerate and the deputy fired several more rounds, at which point Koffi’s truck was stopped and the deputy took Koffi into custody and applied medical aid until paramedics arrived.  Koffi was hit at least three times through the windshield. 
 
Koffi and the first woman hit by the truck were flown by helicopters to nearby hospitals and treated for their injuries. The woman received significant injuries that are not expected to be life threatening. The security guard and second woman hit by the truck were transported to a local hospital by ground ambulance and are expected to survive their injuries. Koffi received major injuries and is currently in critical condition. Koffi’s friends at the rented home were able to treat their own injuries and did not require hospitalization.
 
A countywide protocol was invoked that details how the incident will be investigated because this is an officer involved shooting causing major injuries. Santa Rosa Police and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the officer involved shooting portion of this incident. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the assaults and events leading up to the shooting.
 
Currently Koffi is under arrest by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office at the hospital for two counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one charge of carjacking for the incidents leading up to the officer involved shooting. Bail has not been set.
 
More information and video of the incidents will be released as soon as possible. The name of the deputy involved in the shooting will be released soon.
 
Prepared by: Sgt. Spencer Crum
Case No: 190704-028
Media Inquiries: 707-565-3941