'Assassination Attempt' Remark By RivCo Sheriff Leads To New Lawsuit

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is targeted in a new defamation lawsuit brought about by comments the lawman made last year amid a Coachella Valley rally for then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, by plaintiff Vem Miller alleges Bianco violated Miller's constitutional rights and civil liberties. The suit claims the sheriff deliberately made false public statements, calling Miller a would-be Trump assassin.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the County of Riverside are also named as defendants in the complaint. The suit seeks at least $100 million in damages.

Patch reached out via email for comment from Bianco. In a released statement, a sheriff's spokesperson responded, "As of now, Riverside County has not received the new lawsuit. Additionally, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office does not comment on pending litigation."

The basic background of Miller's grievance about the sheriff has been reported nationwide. A 50-year-old Nevada resident and alleged Trump supporter, Miller was detained on October 12, 2024, at the Trump rally held at Calhoun Ranch in Coachella. The then-former president was scheduled to speak at the event, and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department provided security along the venue's perimeter.

Deputies flagged Miller as he attempted to drive into the event. He was eventually arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor possession of a loaded firearm without a permit and failure to show proof of current vehicle registration, an infraction.

According to the filed complaint, Miller did not try to hide the weapons in his vehicle.

" ... in his enthusiasm for President Trump, Mr. Miller requested and received tickets to the President Trump rally at Coachella, Riverside County, California," the complaint reads. "In accordance with his experience of attending political rallies in Nevada, Mr. Miller did what he believed to be the right thing by approaching Riverside County Sheriff's Department deputies approximately one mile from the site of the rally to announce that he was in possession of firearms."

Following a vehicle search, Miller was arrested.

The complaint alleges that Bianco took to news outlets thereafter to "falsely proclaim that the Riverside County Sheriff's Department stopped the third 'would-be Trump assassin' even though the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service decided not to interview Mr. Miller ... ."

Among those outlets allegedly contacted was The Epoch Times. According to the complaint, Bianco texted the outlet with the message, "We arrested a man trying to get in the perimeter with two firearms who ended up saying he was going to kill the president."

Miller denies making the statement.

The Press-Enterprise reported that the sheriff had announced a third Trump assassination was thwarted by his deputies.

Following The Press-Enterprise story, Bianco held a news conference. He told reporters that he could not recall giving out that information to the outlet but said it sounded like something he would have said. (The Epoch Times never came up in the news conference.)

Bianco doubled-down. "I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt," the sheriff said during the news conference.

Trump assassination attempts were making headlines at that time, and law enforcement was under pressure. On July 13, 2024, Trump survived an alleged assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. The then-GOP presidential frontrunner was shot and wounded in his upper right ear, photos of which went viral. The 20-year-old shooter was shot and killed by the Secret Service.

Two months later, Trump survived an alleged assassination attempt while golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A suspect was spotted hiding in nearby bushes while allegedly aiming a rifle at a member of Trump's security detail. A Secret Service agent fired at the suspect, who was later captured, arrested and charged. Trump was not injured.

Monday's lawsuit is the second brought against Bianco by Miller. The Nevada man filed a similar complaint in his home state.

Since his arrest in Riverside County, Miller has publicly aired his grievances against Bianco. He produced a video titled “The 3rd Assassin” that is highly critical of the sheriff who is an outspoken Trump supporter and running to be California's next governor.

Miller was formally charged in Riverside County with the misdemeanor firearms charge and the traffic infraction, both of which stemmed from last year's incident at the Trump rally. He has pleaded not guilty.

Miller, a registered Republican, ran for state assembly in Nevada in 2022. He lost in the primary.