Mendocino County Deputy Drove Drunk, Damaged Harley, Fled Scene, DA Says
Deputy Sheriff Marcis McCarty receiving the academy class overall achievement award. in June of 2022. [Image from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page]
Deputy Marcis Robert McCarty was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on Sunday, May 25, and released less than an hour later. Also booked and released at the same time was co-defendant Davina Rose Gurley, who faces a single misdemeanor DUI charge stemming from the same night.
The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office has filed three misdemeanor charges against McCarty: driving under the influence of alcohol, vandalism causing more than $400 in damage, and failing to stop and report a collision. Prosecutors allege that while intoxicated, McCarty was driving 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. That same night, he was also involved in an incident that resulted in $1,256.48 in damage to a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He then allegedly left the scene without notifying the owner or law enforcement.
Gurley is not accused of speeding, property damage, or fleeing the scene. Her sole charge is misdemeanor DUI.
The alleged misconduct occurred on April 25. Internal investigators flagged the incident the following morning, when a sheriff’s sergeant noticed significant damage to a patrol vehicle parked at the Willits substation.
According to Sheriff Matt Kendall, surveillance footage showed McCarty hitting a guardrail while off duty, continuing on to a local bar where he drank, and then driving the damaged vehicle home later that night.
McCarty did not report the crash or file the required damage report with the county. “He bought the ticket; he’s going to take the ride,” Sheriff Kendall said in prior coverage of the incident, describing the conduct as a “blatant violation” of department policy, which limits use of patrol vehicles to official duties and requires immediate reporting of any damage.
McCarty has been placed on paid administrative leave, and his peace officer powers have been suspended. He joined the department in June 2022 and had worked in both patrol and corrections. Sheriff Kendall said in earlier comments that there were no prior alcohol-related incidents involving McCarty but emphasized that accountability is essential in law enforcement. When reached for follow-up, Kendall declined to comment further, citing ongoing litigation.
McCarty and Gurley are scheduled to be arraigned on June 2 at 9 a.m. in Mendocino County Superior Court in Ukiah.
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Took them 3 weeks to investigate this and put on paid leave?
Was he working while all this was going on?
He was put on leave when they started the investigation — but what’s interesting is he’s picked up a co-defendant and additional charges for damaging the Harley.
That’s “paid administrative leave”, podner. Relieved of police duties. Gives him time to send resume’s or other job apps. around the nation before these cases are resolved.
Another Tarantino script ripped from the headlines. TRY to make it up!
Y’all had a chance to rid the county of that bumbling fool Sheriff Kendall. Do away with the rather illogical approach electing a sheriff, and allow the supes to appoint one instead (just like cities appoint a chief). Politics in law enforcement leads to limited choices that often don’t reflect local politics, and corrupt morons like Kendall getting elected.
So…you think an appointed chief is better than an elected one? A perfect chance for ‘the good old boys’ to put one of their buddies in the job.
An appointed sheriff could be dismissed. An elected sheriff cannot.
This Board would hire Barney Fife.
At least he never hurt anyone.
We can be thankful that no one was injured…
But then you have to put your trust in the board of supervisors…..
Just my two cents: I’ve always taken issue with the way labor laws are set up in California allows for a newly elected sheriff to fire whoever ran against them. It’s deemed a conflict of interest to force the sheriff to supervise his political opponent. In my experience a lot of really qualified individuals would never run because of the fear of losing their job if they lost.
i had assumed this was a standard practice, found out Washington State doesn’t function this way at all.
OMG the Mendo dupes? You don’t want them electing someone. Good lord brother. Where ya been for thirty years?
Let’s be fair now, Looks like this officers influence in alcohol related disorderly conduct and vandalism, could be coming from his side kick who has similar charges and Arrest from 1991 according to Good Ole Bruce Andersons AVA; https://theava.com/archives/165677
Mendocino, a lawless place from top to bottom!
Leadership at all levels!!!
His job is toast. Chance are never to work in law enforcement again, Who would hire him with this in his background. That will be the best outcome besides jail time loss of license and fines.
Apparently you have no familiarity with local law enforcement. If it were considered something bad he might get a transfer to another department which would undoubtedly result in a raise in pay. This is not something bad, just happened to make the news somehow. The Willits cop pulling over women and raping them while on duty, in uniform, that was bad. The local humboldt cops stealing from the dead folks. Remember the blue lake p.d.? Cops are generally bad, not all but most even if they didn’t start the job that way. They start as a mix of those bullied in school and the bullies themselves. Then they deal with the dredges of society day in, day out. See the same faces everyday, arrest the same people multiple times in a day. Have seemingly no effect, get no praise, and are continually overworked. It isn’t so much a surprise their conduct is so off, that they only tend to hang out with each other.
Wow, such an expert analysis. I’m sure you have a ton of practical experience on which to base it. Now do public school teachers. There’s plenty of examples.
What he says is true. The problem is Humboldt and Mendo County pay such crap wages they cannot get nor retain good cops ie you get what you pay for. Most are good honest folks but some are not. Not sure what you expect to get with the wages cops make in Nor Cal but its not going to be the best and they have to hire somebody…….
Don’t forget about The Covelo Way… a deputy required his subordinates to allow him to have sex with their wives… until one sued, which cost the county millions of $.
It was supposed to be a morale booster.
Actually, this is very bad as the Deputy is facing charges. He’ll be ostracized from the law enforcement community after losing his job.
What would you expect to happen? You want this guy answering your midnight call about a prowler or break-in? You like seriously intoxicated driving by anybody?
“Not something bad”? Just trolling, right? Did you read the same news story? Totally unacceptable behavior, LEO or not. Wait, this is AI, right? Only, Artificial Non-intelligence.
You couldn’t pay me enough to work in law enforcement. Too stressful. I’m pleased that Sheriff Kendall is following the rule of law and observing Deputy McCarty’s Due Process rights.
If anyone else committed the same crimes it would be charged as felonies not misdemeanors.
CORRECT: The charge of leaving the scene of an accident is a FELONY.
Except that it just isn’t. Leaving the scene of a property damage only accident (20002 VC) is only a misdemeanor. If there are injuries it can be charged as a felony.
Sheriff PR agent
Is he on paid leave because he did this stuff & they’re going to plea it down to a no contest charge of probably drunk in public or some other lesser charge? His badge has been suspended but not his pay? You cant do this job but here is your pay check! Go enjoy your vacation!!
When did he hit the Harley and how?
That is not clear in the charges.
The bartender who served him that night told me he backed into it in the parking lot.
That’s not the rumor I heard but it was just a rumor. We’ll learn more when the case goes further.
Watch to learn the inside scoop;
https://youtu.be/_UF37ck8I3E?si=tuiI2cAugLRNv6T4
Trent has very good sources but I can’t post what he says happened as fact.
He and his girlfriend were stumbling drunk leaving bar and knocked Harley over, then his girlfriend drove patrol car home from bar, that why she got DUI charges but they never said she drove patrol car but she did
All caught on film from Little Johns.
And people are feeling sorry for these threats to public safety. Go figure.
So how is this bar/bartender not being cited for over serving?
Mendocino might have the best officers in the state!! If you mean rapists, thieves, drunks and idiots…
And McCarty’s brother was killed by the Covelo seven.
Redhead’s previous article refers to the victim of the Covolo 6 as Kyle McCartney, not McCarty.
Yeesh. Not even 3 years out of the C/R academy.
Davina Rose Gurley also drove the patrol car drunk. I was told she crashed it too.
Damn, he hit the guardrail on the way to the bar? Then his girlfriend drove the patrol car home. Way to serve and protect
And to the establishment slinging drinks..Way to “over serve” and not protect.
Oops…Time for a career change…
He’ll just go apply for, and get a job in another county. Lake County take him in a heartbeat.
Law enforcement is no longer an option for this idiot.
He will be teaching drivers ed in Sonoma by July 4th.
Smh these charges are a joke. Any normal citizen would have been charged with hit and run, felony property damage which is the destruction of property exceeding $400.
this b/s likely going to be pled out to a wet and reckless at best, the “vandalism” charge will likely get dropped it’s all just a show to make it look like they are holding him accountable but they aren’t.
I’m calling “Bullshit” according to the story, he left the scene of an accident that caused over $1K damage to a motorcycle, this is a Felony…
He knocked it over drunk, no vehicle was involved except the bike.
We can thank Trent James this was prosecuted. If he hadn’t posted about the coverup, this deputy never would have been charged!
In this episode Trent discusses a recent incident involving a Mendocino County Patrol Deputy that decided to drive his patrol car off duty to a local bar, get drunk with his girlfriend and subsequently crash the car into a guard rail. The Sheriff is downplaying this of course and I can already see the excuses coming a mile away.
https://youtu.be/_UF37ck8I3E?si=tuiI2cAugLRNv6T4
Actually, the Trent James video was published on May 1st. We spoke with Kendall about this days prior to that video. https://kymkemp.com/2025/04/29/mcso-deputy-allegedly-drove-patrol-car-to-bar-crashed-his-vehicle-into-a-guardrail-and-didnt-report-it/
James referenced getting a press release from MCSO. I don’t think this was a coverup.
Perhaps not a coverup, but James certainly drew media attention from the Bay Area with his post which put the pressure on Kendall not to sweep this under the rug as many disciplinary actions involving Sheriff Deputies are. There is a little battle brewing back and forth between Kendall and James, Kendall doesn’t like the spotlight shining light into the Sheriff’s Department.
Trent James is a blithering IDIOT — as he proves in this video — so much for his delusional claims of always being right — and if he’s not a disgruntled ex-employee why the angry and very personalized jihad against Sheriff Kendall?
First things first — Trent is an IDIOT because he claims in the video that Kendall is covering up the DUI by the Deputy — which is obviously not true because the Deputy is being charged with DUI.
Trent is also lying when he says he’s happy to be out of the MCSO — the fact is, after it didn’t work out for him at Willits PD he applied to be rehired at MCSO but withdrew his ap when he found out he’d be subject to a full background check, the same as a new hire — what were the questions he was afraid to answer in background?
One thing Trent James gets right: the Deputy was not in an accident with the Harley — he drunkenly stumbled into it in the parking lot.
What can possess a young man to throw away his career, his reputation, his relationships .after working so hard to get there?
This is a trajedy for him.
And unknown others.
It’s very sad.
Alcohol
A girlfriend who tends to get in trouble has a way of tempting a young man whether he be cop or civilian. This young woman has been in trouble for similar charges in the past, go figure