Jerry L. Steering has been suing Police Officers for Violating your Constitutional Rights since 1984 in San Bernardino and elsewhere in California, for Excessive Force / Police Brutality, False Arrests, Malicious Prosecutions, K-9 Maulings, Police Beatings, Shootings and Wrongful Deaths and for Concealing and Destroying Exculpatory Evidence done to frame innocents. He also defends bogus Resistance Offense Criminal Cases. Call Mr. Steering at (949) 474-1849.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is a brutal police agency that routinely uses excessive force on civilians, and falsely arrests and maliciously prosecutes their victims.

FREE CASE EVALUATION

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA, IS A HOTBED FOR POLICE MISCONDUCT

The San Bernardino County Police Department is a particularly brutal police agency. They routinely provoke innocents, to verbal criticize or question their aggressive conduct, and when they do, the “cowboy warriors” do their thing; beating-up and falsely arresting, and ultimately maliciously prosecute those totally innocent persons. This is neither a joke or some sort of lefty propaganda. This is the cold reality of life on the streets of the City of San Bernardino, and otherwise throughout San Bernardino County; especially in Rancho Cucamonga and “Up the Hill” in the Victorville / Hesperia area.

San Bernardino County is the hotbed for “cops gone wild.” These deputies are simply out of control, and nobody is going to do anything about; at least anybody from the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office or the Judges of the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

SAMPLES OF MR. STEERING’S SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY POLICE MISCONDUCT CASES:

Here are a few examples of cases that Mr. Steering has won against the Sheriff Department; an agency that has literally gone off of the deep end in the High Desert / Victor Valley area:

Tommy Mark Franks, Jr. and his truckTommy Mark Franks, Jr. v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Santa Ana) (2023), $500,000.00 settlement following $375,000.00 jury verdict on compensatory damages phase on February 1, 2023.

An Orange County Federal Court Jury Awarded Tommy Mark Franks, Jr. $375,000.00 for compensatory damages for a five hour false arrest by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputy sheriff Tyler Loup. Tommy Franks was a truck driver who delivered a load of produce to WinCo Foods in Apple Valley California.

After dropping-off his load and getting his delivery papers signed by the store Manager, Tommy Franks began walking from the front of the store around the building to the back, where his semi-truck was parked at the loading dock in the rear of the building.

Deputy Loup pulled-up to Mr. Franks and asked him what he was doing, and Mr. Franks said that he was “walking”. Deputy Loup told Mr. Franks that he was “loitering”, and Mr. Franks responded “How can I be loitering if I’m walking”.

Deputy Loup then had Mr. Franks turn around, handcuffed him, and took his wallet out of his pocket, that contained Mr. Franks’ Arizona driver’s license. As Deputy Loup didn’t care for Tommy Franks attitude, he then detained him in his patrol car. Tommy Franks told Deputy Loup: “Is it difficult to breathe with your head so far up your ass”, and Deputy Loup then arrested Tommy Franks and took him to jail. Tommy Franks was released on a Citation for “resisting an officer” 5 hours later.

Photo of Bullet path through Penny Trent's pants fired by DeputyIn Penny Trent v. County of San Bernardino, et al., Mr. Steering obtained a $600,000.00 settlement for unreasonable seizure of her person. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Sheriff Carolyn Chadwell and her partner had arrested Penny Trent’s husband for Domestic Violence; for hitting her.

After they place Mr. Trent in their patrol car, Deputy Chadwell walked back into the Trent’s home. She saw Penny Trent sitting on her living room couch; where the deputies told her to sit while they arrested her husband. Deputy Chadwell couldn’t see Penny Trent’s left hand that was down by her side; hidden by the couch are. Within one second of Chadwell asking Penny Trent asking “Penny, where’s your hand“, she shot at Penny; the bullet travelling through her sweatpants and barely grazing her shin.

The deputies then arrested Penny, took her to the Sheriff’s Station and interrogated her for 8 hours, in a frenzied attempt to cover for their shooting of Penny.

Daniel Morgan v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) (1996), $714,000.00 settlement following jury verdict for excessive force and false arrest during search warrant execution in Apple Valley, California. Daniel Morgan owned an airplane repair facility and paint store next to the Airport in Apple Valley, California. A man who owed him money for auto paint and made-up a story that Dan Morgan was cooking meth at his shop / store.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department thereafter obtained a search warrant for Mr. Morgan’s property and they executed the same at 7:00 a.m. in the morning. Mr. Morgan, a totally innocent man, was struck in his jaw with a rifle butt by Deputy Sheriff Rodney Fulcher, and Deputy Sheriff Mike Fassari kicked Dan Morgan’s left while he laid on the ground, unconscious, and broke his leg clean.

Sacco and Vanzetti Daily Alaska EmpireThomas Austin v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Riverside), $500,000.00 jury verdict for false arrest and excessive force. Tom Austin’s son was doing a High School Project; a Video Recreation of the famous Sacco and Vanzetti alleged bank robbery (they turned-out to be innocent). The students had pellet guns and ski masks on for their school project. The neighbors thought that it was a real home invasion robbery, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department came to the scene.

The deputies yelled upstairs for Tom Austin to come downstairs to his garage, but he just heard noise and came downstairs into his garage. When he descended the stairs, the deputy pointed his pistol at Tom Austin’s face, and then pepper sprayed him and took Mr. Austin to jail for resisting arrest.

A San Bernardino County Jury acquitted Mr. Austin of the resisting arrest charge, and a jury awarded him $500,000.00 in his subsequent civil case in federal court in Riverside, California.

Brenton Whitney Hands arguing David Scott v. County of San Bernardino before 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on November 13, 2017David Scott v. County of San Bernardino, et al; $390,000.00 settlement after winning case on appeal to the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department School Resource officer arrested three 11-year-old girls, handcuffed them and paraded him out of their Middle School and to the police station, because they were not taking the Deputy Sheriff seriously and he literally said that he wanted to teach them a lesson; no joke.

Some of Mr. Steering’s other San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and City Police cases are:

Lopez v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) (2002), $50,000.00 settlement for racially motivated battery;

Miller v. City of San Bernardino, et al, U.S. Dist. Court Cent. Dist. of Cal. (Riverside) (2003), $35,000.00 settlement for unlawful detention;

Calderon v. County of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside)(2003), $115,000.00 settlement for false arrest and illegal search;

Arroyo v. City of San Bernardino, U.S. Dist. Court, Central Dist. of Cal. (Riverside)(2004), $125,000.00 settlement for unreasonable seizure of person;

Ford v. County of San Bernardino, (2007), $80,000.00 settlement for excessive force;

In re Jane Doe v. County of San Bernardino, et al., (2008), $290,000.00 settlement (prior to filing lawsuit) for sexually motivated mistreatment of arrestee;

Aubrey v. County of San Bernardino, et. al, U.S. Dist. Court (LA) 2012, $325,000.00 settlement for the use of unreasonable force and for false arrest; and

Jones v. County of San Bernardino, et al.; $170,000.00 U.S. Dist. Court (LA) settlement for unreasonable seizure of person.

See, WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE FALSELY ARRESTED OR BEATEN BY THE POLICE, if you are the victim of police misconduct.

FREE CASE EVALUATION

If you are the victim of Police Misconduct, we can help you.

Jerry L. Steering, Esq.