The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office dropped its case last month against a Los Angeles Police Department officer facing allegations of domestic violence and weapons possession, according to county Superior Court records.
Prosecutors charged Shay Austin Van Deventer with two misdemeanor charges, domestic violence, in connection with a March 7, 2024, incident, and a charge four days later of illegal possession of an assault weapon.
The weapons-possession charge was dismissed Nov. 19, and the domestic-violence allegation was dismissed the following week.
Deputy District Attorney Tatiana Chahoian gave her reasoning to Judge Danielle Colon O’Sullivan on the record during the latter hearing in the Santa Clarita Courthouse, according to a transcript of the proceeding.
Chahoian characterized the alleged domestic violence incident using the legal term, “mutual combat,” based on her conversation with the alleged victim, an ex-girlfriend, according to the transcript.
While the incident may have at one point gone beyond that, the victim stated she did not have any injuries to report, according to Chahoian’s statement to the judge.
In the transcript, Chahoian said that, based on her assessment, which the alleged victim did not object to, she would not be able to proceed.
The hearing also involved the termination of a protective order the alleged victim had against Van Deventer.
The LAPD did not immediately respond to a request for information regarding Van Deventer’s employment status with the law enforcement agency.
