San Bernardino County's sheriff and district attorney have opened a joint criminal investigation into allegations that training staff physically assaulted a police academy trainee in California. The inquiry, announced November 7, follows a complaint that reached the department two days earlier, and the personnel involved have been placed on administrative leave.

How the complaint reached the department

According to the Sheriff's Department, the allegations arrived on Thursday, November 5, after being passed along by the state body that sets training standards for California officers, known as POST. The complaint claims that staff members overseeing training physically assaulted a recruit at the Frank Bland Regional Training Center in San Bernardino. The department has not said which training activity the allegations concern.

Who is investigating?

The case is moving along two tracks at once:

  • A criminal inquiry opened Friday, November 6, run jointly by the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office.
  • An internal administrative review by the department's Professional Standards Division, checking whether staff followed department policy.

The department said the staff members were placed on leave because of the complaint's nature, and they will remain off duty until the investigation concludes. Neither the employees nor the trainee have been publicly identified.

What does the sheriff say?

Sheriff-Coroner Shannon D. Dicus said in the advisory that the department remains committed to giving everyone who chooses a law enforcement career a safe place to train. The statement was released through the department's public affairs office and offered no further detail on the allegations. No findings have been announced, and no charges have been filed.

What happens next?

The joint criminal investigation will determine whether any conduct warrants prosecution, while the internal review could lead to discipline under department policy. Because the case is open, the department has released few specifics, and it is not yet known when either review will finish. For recruits and training staff across the region, the outcome may shape how academy misconduct claims are handled going forward.

FAQ

Where did the alleged assault take place?

The complaint says it happened at the Frank Bland Regional Training Center in San Bernardino during academy training.

Have the involved staff been named?

No. The department has not identified the personnel or the trainee, citing the ongoing investigation.