Gay sheriff's deputy Vincent Calvarese appeared in court this morning to face charges of domestic violence, assault, and false imprisonment relating to an arrest last Thursday. He pleaded not guilty. Calvarese, 48, is accused of beating up an ex-boyfriend in the locker room at Gold's Gym in the Castro after Calvarese allegedly called him a liar and told him he was a "captain" and could have him arrested. Calvarese, who is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, allegedly assaulted the victim, whom he dated this past winter for several months, and who is a mere 5-foot-7 and 200 pounds.
Witnesses say Calvarese confronted his ex in the locker room, called him a liar, and attacked him there, and that after others tried to intervene and stop the fight, Calvarese pounced on him again. A witness at the gym at the time told SFist that Calvarese had become involved with "a type of person he probably shouldn't have" and that the incident stemmed from jealousy.
Calvarese is known to some as the subject of a 2009 documentary called The Butch Factor (clip below), which explored issues of masculinity among gay men.
He remains on administrative duty, and it's unclear what sort of disciplinary action may take place within the Sheriff's office, especially in light of embattled and suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, whose job remains in jeopardy over a domestic violence incident of his own.
