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Former Truckee Police officer pleads not guilty in excessive force case

Amanda Rhoades
arhoades@sierrasun.com
Placer County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Madden, a former Truckee Police Officer, was arrested on May 31 and charged with four counts of assault under color of authority and three counts of falsifying an incident report.
Courtesy of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office |

Placer County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Madden, the former Truckee police officer who was arrested on May 31 for alleged use of excessive force on inmates, has pleaded not guilty.

Madden and the two other officers who were arrested at the same time — Corrections Officer Jeffery Villanueva and Corrections Officer Sgt. Megan Yaws — were arraigned on July 17 at the Placer County Superior Courthouse. They all pleaded not guilty.

As the Sierra Sun previously reported, an internal investigation conducted by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office revealed evidence that the suspects allegedly used excessive force that was criminal in nature on six inmates at the Auburn County Jail. Madden is charged with four counts of assault under color of authority without necessity, as well as three counts of falsifying an incident report.



Villanueva is charged with one count of assault under color of authority, and one count of falsifying a report. Yaws is charged with one county of falsifying a report.

Madden previously served the Truckee Police Department from 2010 until 2015, when he joined the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.



A spokeswoman for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said the officers are each on paid administrative leave. Their next court appearance is Aug. 28.

Amanda Rhoades is a news, environment and business reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at arhoades@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2653. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @akrhoades.


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