A former Morongo Basin Sheriff’s deputy is suspected of unlawful use of force and being in possession of stolen property. On June 1, Deputy Erdem Gorgulu, who was assigned to the Central Station, assisted San Bernardino City police with an in-progress looting call at a Big 5 sporting goods store on Highland Avenue. While inside the business, Gorgulu contacted Juan Martinez, 28, and allegedly beat him with a baseball bat before placing him in custody for looting, burglary, and committing a felony while on bail. Another deputy saw Gorgulu’s arrest and believed his actions were unwarranted and unethical, and notified the Sheriff’s watch commander. An investigation was launched, and Gorgulu was placed on administrative leave two days later. During the investigation, deputies learned that Gorgulu may have committed other crimes; a search warrant found stolen property from the Big 5 store in Gorgulu’s personal vehicle. Gorgulu was fired from the Sheriff’s Department on August 24. He had been a Sheriff’s deputy for 11 ½ years. Erdem Gorgulu was charged Wednesday with assault with a deadly weapon, assault by a public officer, filing a false report, and petty theft.
While serving as a deputy in the Morongo Basin, Gorgulu was involved in a crash that killed a man in Twentynine Palms. On April 30, 2013, Gorgulu was driving his patrol car without lights or sirens at 100 miles per hour eastbound on Highway 62 as he responded to a non-emergency call about 7:30 p.m. As he approached Encelia Avenue in Twentynine Palms, a Toyota Camry driven by Luc Van Bui, 64, entered the intersection and Gorgulu’s patrol car T-boned the car. Luc Van Bui was killed in the crash. His family sued the county, the City of Twentynine Palms, and the Sheriff’s Department, and was awarded $3.75 million in 2015 for his death.
