A former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recruit was arrested this month on suspicion of assault with a firearm, the department said Wednesday.
Kiwan Newbell, 36, was fired one day after he allegedly threatened a man with a handgun, as first reported by NBC Los Angeles.
Following his felony arrest March 10, jail records show Newbell was booked into custody at the Norwalk sheriff’s station. He was released the next day after posting a $30,000 bond, records show.
It’s not clear if he has an attorney, and Newbell could not immediately be reached for comment.
“The Sheriff’s Department holds all personnel, including recruits, to the highest standards of conduct and professionalism,” the department said in a statement. “This incident doesn’t reflect the values that our personnel uphold, and we will not allow the actions of one individual to tarnish the reputation or undermine the great work being carried out every day by the dedicated men and women of this department.”
The incident occurred on March 2, when Century sheriff’s station deputies responded to a call about an assault in Lynwood.
“After further investigation, detectives obtained information that led them to a recruit in the Sheriff’s Department Academy,” the department’s statement said.
Two law enforcement sources, who requested anonymity because they did not have permission to speak publicly about the case, told The Times that investigating deputies used the suspect’s license plate to identify him.
One of the sources said investigators only realized he was a recruit after phone tracking revealed that he’d repeatedly visited the department’s training academy.
Nine days after the incident, the department’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau — the unit that probes crimes that may involve department employees — took over the case and arrested Newbell, officials said.
He is due back in court on April 9.
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