Woman shoved and injured by Sacramento sheriff deputy files civil rights lawsuit
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Ourania Thimmhardy filed a federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations by deputies.
- Video shows ex-deputy Gurich shoving Thimmhardy during jail release in 2024.
- Family seeks reforms, deputy discipline and state oversight of jail.
The 71-year-old woman shoved to the ground last year by a former deputy has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, calling for reform in the department and discipline of the other deputies involved.
The incident, which was captured on video in October 2024, shows former Deputy Matthew Gurich violently pushing the woman out the front door of the Sacramento County Main Jail. The woman, Ourania Thimmhardy, was seriously injured and spent months in the hospital following the shove, according to the lawsuit and her family.
“The biggest concern I have is the unknown,” said John Siamoutas, one of Thimmhardy’s sons, at a press conference on Monday. “This hip injury at this age could, for some seniors, be the kiss of death when you lose certain mobility and enjoyment of life.”
John, alongside his brother George, detailed their mother’s struggles since the push. She broke her femur, spent three months hospitalized and was not able to see her husband before he died.
The couple had been planning to move back to Montreal before the October 2024 incident. Instead, George said, Thimmhardy is now alone and on a “long road to recovery.”
“They were in the midst of packing, which is the great irony,” George said.
On Monday, the Siamoutas brothers joined lawyer Mark Merin to announce a recently filed federal lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Office. The lawsuit alleges the incident violated her constitutional and civil rights.
Merin said the situation calls for accountability and fixes within the department and its handling of the jail. Among the requested changes is that the state take control of the jail and address the issues, Merin said. He noted the need more training of deputies including their handling of homeless people and those with mental health issues.
About 30% of bookings at the Sacramento County Main Jail involve a homeless person, according to previous Bee reporting.
“We can’t be spending our fortune on doing something that’s totally destructive and devastating for the people in their care,” Merin said. “We need to change.”
The family and Merin are asking for discipline of the other deputies present during the shove.
“Can they envision their mother being in that position,” George asked.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.
In a video of the incident, Sacramento deputies are seen talking to Thimmhardy while they processed her release from jail. Thimmhardy, who has a documented history of mental illness, was arrested two days earlier at a Starbucks.
The video shows Thimmhardy refusing to sign a form without clarification before deputies physically escorted her out the building and Gurich pushed her. Though many officers are seen in the video, Gurich’s face is the only one not blurred.
He was fired from the department in March following a monthslong administrative leave. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced last month Gurich would face a felony charge of unlawful assault by a public officer, according to previous Bee reporting.
Gurich’s next court hearing is set for July, according to the Sacramento Superior Court website.
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM.
