Cloverdale Homicide Investigation Leads to Armed Stand-Off
CLOVERDALE, CA — “On November 22, 2025, at about 4:47 pm, Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 300 block of Cloverdale Heights Way, Cloverdale. Cloverdale Police responded and assisted with the initial response and investigation. One victim was located at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite life-saving efforts, including CPR, the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Through witness statements, detectives identified the suspect as 56-year-old Lawrence Cassidy, of Cloverdale. Cassidy had fled the area in a white Ford SUV. Deputies and detectives later located the vehicle in Healdsburg. Additional investigative leads revealed that Cassidy had been driven from Healdsburg to a residence in the 1500 block of Brush Creek Road in Santa Rosa.
In the early morning hours of November 23, 2025, at about 1:26 am, the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team, Hostage Negotiations Team, and Explosives Ordinance Disposal (bomb) Unit were deployed to the Brush Creek Road location. Two occupants were safely removed from the residence by SWAT personnel. During the ensuing three-hour standoff, multiple rounds were fired from within the residence. One of the rounds possibly struck the Sheriff’s Office armored rescue vehicle, which was occupied by SWAT personnel at the time. No deputies were injured.
While the suspect was firing, SWAT operators deployed chemical agents in an effort for a peaceful surrender. The Hostage Negotiations Team made repeated attempts to contact Cassidy by telephone and loudspeaker, but he refused to communicate and did not exit the residence.
During the incident, the Santa Rosa Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding neighborhood due to police activity within city limits.
Eventually, deputies utilized a drone and a bomb-disposal robot equipped with a camera to view the interior of the home. Based on observations from those devices, SWAT made entry and located a deceased adult male inside.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has invoked the Sonoma County Employee-Involved Critical Incident Protocol. It requests that the Petaluma Police Department and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office lead an independent investigation into this incident. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Unit will handle the decedent identification and autopsy. They can be reached at (415) 473-6043.
The investigation is ongoing and is being actively conducted by the Petaluma Police Department. The Petaluma Police Department will release additional information regarding the investigation as it becomes available. For media inquiries related to this incident, please call PPD Lieutenant J. Walsh at (707) 776-3743 or by email at jwalsh@cityofpetaluma.org. For information regarding the homicide, you can call the Sheriff’s Office media line.”
