Bar brawl leads to fight with deputies

El Dorado County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a fight in the early morning hours of July 4 in Coloma.

Deputies received a call at 12:47 a.m. that a fight had broken out at the Coloma Club and were advised that bar stools were being thrown and one suspect had been seen with a handgun, a press release stated.

Upon arrival, deputies learned the suspects had fled southbound on Highway 49 in a black truck. Several deputies left to begin a search while others spoke with employees. The employees advised that “three male subjects had been drinking in the bar and were being loud and causing problems,” the press release stated. When asked to leave, the three began fighting with employees. Several regular patrons attempted to assist the employees. The three suspects proceeded to allegedly assault two employees and a patron.

One suspect fled during the altercation, but returned holding a handgun behind his back, the press release stated. The three then fled in the black truck. One unidentified patron noted that the suspects had been camping at the Ponderosa Resort and had heard the suspect with the handgun called “Johnny.”

Deputies were able to locate the truck at the resort, parked next to a fifth wheel trailer. Deputies ordered the occupants to exit based on the report of a handgun, but there was no response. After a few minutes of orders, the press release stated, a suspect identified as Johnny Wadsworth, 40, of Coloma, exited the trailer. He challenged the deputies to shoot him and refused to comply with orders given by the deputies. He advanced on the deputies and “indicated that he was going to fight,” the press release stated.

When he would not stop after multiple warnings, he was shot with a non-lethal bean bag round. After a pause, Wadsworth began to advance again. He was subsequently shot with two more bean bag rounds before he tried to hide behind a tree near the trailer. He was confronted by a deputy and K-9 unit, stopped resisting and was arrested.

As he was being arrested, his wife and son, Roxann, 41, of Amador City, and Joshua, 23, of Jackson, exited the trailer. They immediately threatened the deputies and refused to comply with orders. Joshua Wadsworth began advancing on the deputies, challenging them to shoot him. As he got closer, deputies shot him with a Taser and took him into custody.

Roxann Wadsworth started to go back to the trailer. Fearing that she was attempting to arm herself, deputies shot her with a bean bag round. She sat down and stopped resisting.

Deputies were unable to get a response from a suspected third male in the trailer. The suspects informed the deputies that the third male was “passed out drunk” in the trailer, the press release quotes. Upon searching the trailer, deputies found Jazz Ogilvie, 23, of Sacramento, hiding in the trailer, “extremely intoxicated.” Several firearms were also found.

Witnesses from the bar were able to identify all three male suspects from the bar fight. The two suspects shot with the bean bag rounds and the suspect shot with a Taser were all taken to Marshall hospital for treatment, and were then booked into county jail on assault charges. According to the press release, they also face the possibility of “numerous other charges based on the altercation with deputies” during the arrest.

Cole Mayer

Cole Mayer started writing for the Mountain Democrat in early 2012. He has written news, features and opinions in the past, and currently works the crime, court and fire beat.

View all my stories Email Me CMayerMtDemo