Vista CA— Early this morning, Sunday, April 23, 2017 at around 5:00 a.m., deputies from the Vista Sheriff’s Station responded to a call of a customer causing a disturbance at the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 895 East Vista Way. The clerk told emergency dispatchers the suspect, later identified as Casey Clason (DOB 4/23/87), walked into the store and emptied a two liter bottle of soda onto his head.

Deputies responded and contacted Clason in the parking lot of a nearby church with his arms wrapped around a flag pole. They noticed his face had blood on it but they did not know the cause. Clason ignored deputies and walked away from them. Based on the clerk’s statements and Clason’s behavior, deputies believed Clason was possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol and clearly a danger to himself or others and attempted to detain him.
Clason immediately became violent and attempted to kick deputies while on his back. Deputies deployed their Taser devices and pepper spray multiple times with no effect on Clason. When deputies tried to place Clason in handcuffs he grabbed one of the deputies by the leg and bit him. Deputies utilized hand and impact weapon strikes directed to Clason’s upper arm in an attempt to make him release his bite.
Multiple deputies responded and they were eventually able to take Clason into custody. Clason was transported to Tri-City Medical Center and treated for minor injuries before being booked into the Vista Detention Facility for two counts of felony assault on a deputy, being under the influence of a controlled substance and violating the terms of his probation.
Three deputies were treated for injuries to their extremities but are expected to recover.
The investigation into the incident is continuing and anyone with information is asked to call the San Diego Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200..