Sheriff’s department will investigate arrest at Busby fundraiser

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday it has launched an internal investigation into the controversial arrest of a woman during a fundraiser for Democratic congressional candidate Francine Busby in Cardiff-By-The-Sea.

“The only proper way to ascertain exactly what happened is to initiate an internal affairs investigation,” said Undersheriff Bill Gore. “We cannot take action based on media accounts and will conduct a thorough inquiry, to include interviews of witnesses at the fundraising event.”

The incident occurred at the woman’s residence on Rubinstein Avenue around 9 p.m. Friday after deputies received a noise complaint.

In a statement e-mailed to reporters Sunday, the woman - Shari Barman, 60 - said Deputy Marshall Abbott exhibited “unprofessional behavior” that led to the “shocking” incident.

The deputy arrested Barman for allegedly hitting him when he responded to the house. Barman, who is well known in local tennis circles and is the partner of Acura Classic co-founder Jane Stratton, was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and released Saturday morning.

In her statement, Barman denied hitting the deputy, who has been with the department for two years.

The event in the home she shares with Stratton was to raise funds for Busby, who twice unsuccessfully ran for the congressional seat held by Brian Bilbray, R-Carlsbad, and plans to try again next year.

Barman said about 50 people attended the event, which included a speech by Busby, and it was breaking up when Abbott arrived.

Barman said she gave the deputy her name but refused his request for her date of birth. He then grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground, she said.

Stratton told Abbott to be careful with Barman because she had recently had shoulder surgery, but he threw Stratton to the ground, Barman said.

While Busby was speaking earlier, a neighbor male heckler shouted at her, so the initial noise complaint might be politically motivated, Barman said.

A woman who attended the event and lives in the neighborhood said the only noise from the gathering came from the heckler. She agreed with Barman’s assessment that the incident was politically motivated.

“We had two louder parties last weekend in the neighborhood,” said the woman, who asked that her name not be included in this story.

She said she left before the deputy arrived and was shocked to find eight to 10 patrol cars and a helicopter outside.

“It was an extreme overreaction to what was going on,” she said.

Barman has a notice to appear in court by Aug. 11 to answer to two misdemeanor counts.

Tags: arrest, Busby, SDNN, Sheriff's Department

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