The State - News from Aug. 26, 1986

A former Tuolumne County sheriff’s deputy was found innocent of charges that he fatally beat a prisoner. A Monterey County Superior Court jury acquitted Dennis Gene Raymond of second-degree murder in the Aug. 3, 1985, death of William Flagg who had been arrested for investigation of public drunkenness at a bar near Sonora. Flagg died of asphyxiation. Two deputies testified that Raymond repeatedly struck Flagg with his patrol car. The jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquitting Raymond of companion charges of assault with intent to commit great bodily injury and battery by a peace officer. A mistrial was declared on those counts, and the case was put over to Sept. 10 to set a retrial. The case was moved to Monterey because of pretrial publicity.