VENTURA : Gadfly Hit Process Server, Sheriff Says

A Ventura gadfly grazed a process server with his car and tried to hit a second one Sunday because they were attempting to serve him with an order to stay away from the Church of Christ in Ojai, according to the company hired to serve the papers.

Carroll Dean Williams, 48, was arrested Sunday and released on $5,000 bail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Burell said. Sheriff’s officials said Sunday that Williams drove his red Volvo at Richard Hanna, a process server for Western Protective Enterprises Inc., a Ventura private investigations firm that routinely serves papers for the Ventura County courts.

Burell said Monday that Williams’ car grazed process server Wendy Weeks, bruising her hip. Weeks did not require treatment, Burell said.

A Western Protective Enterprises spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said Williams drove toward both of the process servers outside the Church of Christ.

Several years ago, Williams split from the church group, which then allowed him to hold his own meetings after church services every Sunday, the spokesman said. But because of ongoing conflicts, the church obtained a court order April 2, giving Williams 30 days to stop holding his meetings at the Pueblo Street church, the spokesman said.

Hanna and Weeks confronted Williams outside the church on Sunday while a service was in progress and tried to serve the Municipal Court order, the spokesman said.

Sheriff’s deputies said that Williams fled after grazing Weeks and trying to hit Hanna. He was arrested near Tico Boulevard and California 33. Hanna and Weeks served him with the court order while he sat in the back of a patrol car, the Western Protective spokesman said.

Hanna and Weeks have declined to comment.

Williams and Church of Christ officials could not be reached for comment.

In recent years, Williams has made citizen’s arrests of Ventura Mayor Richard Francis, City Manager John Baker and City Councilman John McWherter. He has appeared many times at Ventura City Council meetings, alleging that city officials have been involved in a conspiracy in the 1978 slaying of Ventura Police Sgt. Darlon Dowell.