Crime & Safety

Deputy Involved in Danville 'Dirty DUIs' Reassigned

Contra Costa County Sheriff's Public Information Director Jimmy Lee confirmed that Deputy Sheriff Tom Henderson has been reassigned out of Danville.

A sheriff's deputy identified last week as being involved in a "dirty DUI" arrest in Danville is no longer assigned to the Danville Police Department.

 "The investigation into the matter is continuing," Jimmy Lee, Contra Costa County sheriff's director of public affairs, wrote in an e-mail. "Deputy Sheriff Tom Henderson is no longer working in Danville. He is currently assigned to patrol."

According to a March 4 affidavit for a search warrant, Henderson told a sheriff's department investigator that he had made a DUI arrest after being told by off-duty Danville officer Stephen Tanabe that a man whose reputation Tanabe wanted to tarnish was about to leave a Danville bar after drinking too much.

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Tanabe, a deputy assigned to Danville since May 2010, after he was  in connection with a scandal involving a Contra Costa County drug task force.

According to the , Henderson said that in November that he received a call from Tanabe, who said he was at a bar in downtown Danville, and that a man he identified by name was drinking heavily and would be leaving soon.

Find out what's happening in Danvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Tanabe, according to the affidavit, explained to Henderson that the man was cheating on his wife and that Tanabe and (Concord-based private investigator) Christopher Butler wanted to "dirty him up" for a future court case." 

Butler, 49, was arrested Feb. 16 along with 49-year-old Norman Wielsch, the commander of the state-run Central Contra Costa County Narcotic Enforcement Team, or CNET.

Prosecutors allege that Wielsch stole drugs from law-enforcement evidence lockers and gave them to Butler, who sold them through his private-investigator business. The pair have pleaded not guilty to 28 charges, including conspiracy; selling methamphetamine, marijuana and steroids; and possessing methamphetamine, marijuana and steroids for sale.

During their arraignment last week, prosecutor Jun Fernandez alleged that Butler hired attractive women to lure his targets to local bars and invite them to drink. Butler then would contact local law-enforcement officers and have the men arrested for drunken driving, Fernandez said.

The affidavit states that Henderson pulled the man over for speeding. Another deputy then arrested him on suspicion of DUI.

Contra Costa County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Jason Vorhauer wrote in the affidavit:

"It is my opinion that Deputy Tanabe has abused his police powers and has been acting as an agent of Butler while on duty as an Officer of the City of Danville."

In an about the investigation, dated March 9, Danville Town Manager Joe Calabrigo wrote: "We are shocked and dismayed by these developments and the understandable concern that this could generate with our community."

He continued: "Though significantly different in their alleged involvement in any impropriety, both of the officers I've cited were immediately reassigned out of Danville and both will be subject to further investigation."

Danville Police Chief Steve Simpkins will be at Tuesday's Town Council meeting to present the Police Department's annual report. The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. at the town meeting hall at 201 Front St.


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