Deputy Mendes participated alongside Deputy Moore in the June 2019 arrest of journalist Michael Gammariello during a logging protest. Despite Gammariello’s clear identification as a member of the press, Mendes assisted in the forceful arrest that led to significant injuries for Gammariello. The subsequent federal civil rights lawsuit accused Mendes and Moore of police brutality, false arrest, and First Amendment retaliation. The lawsuit was settled in May 2021, with Humboldt County agreeing to compensate Gammariello and to request the dismissal of the criminal charges against him.
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