Santa Rosa Police Officer Assaulted While Towing Vehicle 

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at approximately 3:59 p.m., a Santa Rosa Police Officer was conducting patrols in a parking lot in the 1900 block of Santa Rosa Avenue when an incident escalated into an assault on the officer.
The officer identified a vehicle with registration expired for over six years. The officer had been working with the vehicle’s owner for several weeks in an effort to bring the registration into compliance. Upon confirming the registration was still expired, the officer initiated a tow in accordance with California Vehicle Code 22651(o).
As the tow truck arrived and the officer prepared the necessary documentation, an uninvolved man, later identified as 68-year-old Santa Rosa resident Michael Prater, began aggressively approaching the officer. Prater was yelling profanities and insisting the vehicle would not be towed. Without warning, he struck the officer on both sides of the face and ears with his hands, then followed with several closed-fist punches to the officer’s head and face.
The officer pushed Prater away, causing him to fall to the ground. Following a brief struggle, the officer was able to place Prater in handcuffs. Prater was arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of:

• Threatening an Executive Officer (Penal Code 69)
• Battery on a Peace Officer (Penal Code 243(b))

The officer sustained minor injuries and returned to duty shortly after the incident.
The Santa Rosa Police Department remains committed to ensuring the safety of its officers and the community. Our officers work diligently every day to make Santa Rosa a safer place to live, work, and play.