KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — A Hanford Police officer has been indicted for excessive use of force that led to the death of a Hanford man.
The announcement was made Wednesday evening during a joint news conference held by Kings County Sheriff David Robinson and District Attorney Sarah Hacker.
Kings County Sheriff David Robinson and District Attorney Sarah Hacker announce the indictment of Hanford Police Officer Brian Scandura.
The pair said that on January 27, 2025, at 8:40 p.m., Hanford Police Officer Brian Scandura pulled over resident Richard Saunders for riding a bicycle without a light on Irwin Court.
Scandura arrested Saunders, and Sheriff Robinson said that during the arrest, Saunders began arguing with the officer. After being placed in handcuffs and told “numerous times to sit down,” Scandura aggressively took Saunders to the ground, where he struck his head.
Sheriff Robinson says Saunders then became non-verbal, began bleeding from his head and lost consciousness. He was taken to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness and died 17 days later.
On the day Saunders died, the Hanford Police Department determined that Scandura’s use of force did not meet department policy and asked the Kings County Sheriff’s Office to open a criminal investigation.
Investigators later presented the case for criminal charges to a grand jury. District Attorney Hacker said the jury found the indictment appropriate and returned charges including involuntary manslaughter, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, assault by a public officer, and battery causing serious bodily injury.
Scandura turned himself in to the Kings County Jail on September 10, where he was booked and later released on bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned in court on September 24.
