AUBURN -- Two Placer County correctional officers and one sheriff's deputy have been arrested as part of an excessive force investigation at the county jail in Auburn.
According to the Placer County Sheriff's Office, a supervisor was reviewing video footage and reported the behavior to management, who then found the actions of the three officers "unreasonable."
Correctional Sergeant Megan Yaws, Deputy Robert Madden and Correctional Officer Jeffrey Villanueva were arrested Wednesday.
Madden and Villanueva have been charged with multiple counts of assault under color of authority and filing a false report. Yaws was also charged with one count of filing a false report. The charges reflect incidents involving six different victims on six different dates and times.
The charges reflect incidents involving six different victims on six different dates and times.
Placer County Sheriff Devon Bell spoke out about the arrests at a 2:30 p.m. media conference in Auburn.
"Let me close with saying this is a sad and unfortunate set of circumstances for our organization, law enforcement and the citizens of Placer County. Please hear me when I tell you, under no circumstances will unethical or illegal conduct be tolerated under my watch. The culture of our organization is founded upon public trust. Our core values determine how we conduct ourselves on- and off-duty, regardless of difficulty; it is the Placer County Sheriff's Office contract with the community we serve."
"The Placer County Deputy Sheriffs' Association is saddened by today's arrest of one of our members. We ask that the public refrain from rushing to any conclusions and allow the involved officer the due process to which he is entitled. The Association supports a full and fair investigation."
All three suspects have bailed out of jail. All three are scheduled to appear in court Friday.