Sheriff’s deputy cleared

The Butte County Sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed 28-year-old Robert Battaglia of Paradise on Dec. 29 is not criminally liable for his actions, a report from District Attorney Mike Ramsey concludes.

Two deputies—Hugh Hooks and William Brewton—responded to a request for a welfare check from Battaglia’s mother, Alynn Brutsman, at about 4:30 p.m. Upon returning home to a broken front window, she and her husband feared that Battaglia, who suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, had broken in.

When the deputies entered the home, Battaglia reportedly charged them with a knife. In the ensuing struggle, Battaglia repeatedly attempted to stab Brewton’s upper body and face. Fearing for his partner’s life, Hook shot Battaglia once in the chest. He was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly thereafter.

The report concludes that the shooting was justified, citing specific penal codes “as well as the general principles of the law of self-defense and defense of others.”