Marysville police chief is ‘on leave.’ City officials decline to say why
The head of Marysville’s police force was on leave as of late last week and the city of Marysville has not provided additional information related to the nature of his time away from duty.
Marysville Mayor Chris Branscum confirmed Monday morning that Police Chief Christian Sachs was “on leave,” and declined to explain or add context to the circumstances of his absence. City officials clarified in a news release later Monday that Sachs was placed on administrative leave Friday for an undetermined amount of time, although the reason for his absence remains unclear.
City Manager Jim Schaad told The Appeal-Democrat, which first reported the story Friday night after receiving what it described as a “cryptic, anonymous communication” through its website, that Sachs was on leave and would not provide further information, citing employee privacy law.
Schaad did not immediately return the Bee’s request for comment.
The nature, timing and circumstances of the leave are unclear..
The killing of officer Osmar Rodarte last month rattled the city and department, culminating in a celebration of life last Tuesday that drew many law enforcement and community members to the site of the service near Wheatland. Sachs spoke at that event, appearing and sounding emotional on stage while eulogizing the young officer, a military veteran who had about two years of experience on the police force.
“He was more than just an officer, he was family to us,” Sachs said at the service.
Sachs had called on state lawmakers to “wake up” and work toward tougher criminal laws as Rodarte’s killer was identified as a felon and sex offender, with a history of evading court hearings, who was disqualified from possessing a gun.
The Appeal-Democrat reported that Sachs, who has led the department since stepping in as interim chief in late 2017, attended a ribbon cutting for a refurbished city building late Friday morning, alongside several officers and city workers. His leave was confirmed later that night.
Schaad told the Marysville publication that Lt. Vance Nabeta is currently leading police operations.
This story was updated to include the information from a Monday news release.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
