Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner is being investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his children, authorities said April 25.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to Mr. Scrivner’s Tehachapi residence on April 23 at around 11 p.m. after District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer—who is Mr. Scrivner’s aunt—called Sheriff Donny Youngblood worrying about her nephew’s safety, saying that Mr. Scrivner was armed and experiencing a “psychotic episode,” the sheriff said at a news conference.
“We were responding to what we believed at the time was a suicidal person having a psychotic episode, not any crime,” Mr. Youngblood said.
The sheriff said that Ms. Zimmer called him again saying Mr. Scrivner was no longer armed. Deputies later secured the firearm.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered that the supervisor had engaged in a physical altercation with his children following allegations of sexual assault against one of them, resulting in Mr. Scrivner being stabbed twice in the upper torso, the sheriff said. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Mr. Scrivner’s four underage children—two boys and two girls—were all present at the house during the incident, though the sheriff did not disclose the gender of the alleged victim. His parents were also present, the sheriff said.
“The child was protecting the other child from what he believed occurred,” Mr. Youngblood said.
The children are currently under the care of their mother, who initiated divorce proceedings last month, he said.
According to the sheriff, a search of the house discovered approximately 30 firearms, possible evidence of sexual assault, and psychedelic mushrooms.
Due to the kinship between the district attorney and Mr. Scrivner, the sheriff said that the case would be submitted to the state Attorney General’s Office and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office to be reviewed.
Shortly after the sheriff’s press conference, Mr. Scrivner’s attorney, H.A. Sala, held a separate one stating that the allegations were false.
Mr. Sala explained that the altercation between the supervisor and his children was solely intended to disarm him and prevent any possibility of self-harm. He added that Mr. Scrivner was distressed by his impending divorce and was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
He added that there is no evidence indicating that Mr. Scrivner brandished the firearm or aimed it at anyone during the incident.
Mr. Sala told reporters that the evidence did not prove anything more than to prevent Mr. Scrivner from hurting himself. He also said that as a loving father, Mr. Scrivner would never harm his children.
“We have a reasonable basis to believe and conclude that that allegation is absolutely not reliable,” he said. “We’re asking that people keep an open mind right now and not rush to judgment, not make conclusions or assumptions.”
Before joining the Board of Supervisors in 2010, Mr. Scrivner served six years on the Bakersfield City Council and held the position of chairman in 2012, 2017, and 2022 during his tenure on the board.
