No Charges after Officer Injury in Sausalito

December 28, 2021

Man confronted police at homeless camp in November

San Rafael, CA – The Marin County District Attorney's Office has decided not to file charges in a case in which the Sausalito Police Department said a man intentionally injured one of its officers with a video camera.

Sausalito PD arrested Jeremy Portje on November 30 after a confrontation at a camp for homeless individuals. The officer was treated and released at a local hospital for a laceration and bruise on his face. 

Portje was booked at Marin County Jail on two misdemeanor counts of suspicion of battery on a peace officer and one felony of obstructing an executive officer. He was released on bail the next day.

Portje's video camera and cell phone were seized at the time of his arrest. While search warrants were obtained to examine his phone and video footage for evidence of a crime, the District Attorney's office determined it would not review the evidence. The injured officer’s body camera was dislodged during the altercation, but its video was reviewed by prosecutors as was footage from other Sausalito officers and eyewitnesses.

DA Lori E. Frugoli said prosecutorial burden was not met based on what prosecutors discovered during their review.

“While we take all allegations of assault on a police officer seriously, in this case a team of veteran prosecutors who reviewed the case found that the evidence did not show beyond a reasonable doubt that Portje intended to injure the officer,” Frugoli said. “Beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard of proof required by ethical and legal standards for prosecutors to move forward with a case. It is a higher standard than probable cause, which is the standard required by law enforcement to make an arrest.”