Sacramento County Sheriff deputy fired after shoving woman to the ground
A sheriff deputy was fired after shoving a 71-year-old woman to the ground last year, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
The video of the incident, released in February, shows former deputy Matthew Gurich forcefully pushing the woman out the front door of the Sacramento County Main Jail. Gurich had been placed on administrative leave following the incident and was officially terminated on March 14, according to Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
In the video, filmed in October 2024, Sacramento deputies are seen talking to the woman, Ourania Thimmhardy, while they processed her release from jail. Thimmhardy had been held for two days and has a documented history of mental illness, according to a lawsuit expected to be filed next week.
The October 2024 incident began when Thimmhardy asked questions and refused to sign a form without clarification while at the jail. Deputies are eventually seen physically escorting her out the building and pushing her out of the exit in the video.
The lawsuit, provided by her attorney Mark Merin, stated Thimmhardy cannot “climb stairs” and will require the assistance of care workers for as a result of her injuries. Thimmhardy was also hospitalized for three months following the push, Merin said. During that time, her husband suffered a heart attack and died.
Merin added that such an incident calls for accountability, potential criminal charges and “major changes” in the jail.
“Time has run out for the need to make substantial changes in the way the county deals with jail inmates from the top down,” Merin said. “There has to be training, there has to be staff accountability and they have to look at people who are in custody as human beings, who need care and help and not mistreatment.”
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said it had received police reports in this case but did not provide more information, citing a pending investigation.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Sacramento County Sheriff deputy fired after shoving woman to the ground."
