Fresno County deputy, union president, Eric Schmidt accused of battery

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A case has been filed against the President of the Fresno Deputy Sheriff's Association, Eric Schmidt.

The Fresno Police Department investigated the incident, which happened on February 15th, and the Tulare County District Attorney's office is bringing the charges due to potential conflicts of interest with the Fresno County District Attorney's office.

The Tulare County District Attorney's office declined to reveal any details on what led up to the alleged battery, which involved another Fresno County sheriff's office employee.

In addition to his role with the Fresno Deputy Sheriff's Association, Schmidt remains a sworn deputy with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, serves as an adjunct professor at the Fresno City College Police Academy, and in March 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him to serve on the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).

When Action News requested a comment from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, he referred the request to the County Administrative Office. The office responded with a statement from Sheriff John Zanoni:

The Sheriff's Office is aware of an incident that occurred involving Deputy Eric Schmidt in which he has been charged with CA Penal Code section 242, Battery. The incident was investigated by the Fresno Police Department who is the agency of jurisdiction; the case was filed in the Fresno County Superior Court. The Sheriff's Office is conducting an ongoing administrative investigation into this incident which involves the criminal case filing. I want to remind everyone that the Sheriff's Office takes all allegations seriously and will ensure that a thorough administrative investigation is conducted in this case. At this time, Deputy Eric Schmidt has not been placed on paid administrative leave, pending further investigation.

On Friday afternoon, Christopher J. Shea, the attorney for Schmidt, told Action News, "Deputy Schmidt denies the charges, is presumed innocent and looks forward to his exoneration in court."

The Fresno Deputy Sheriff's Association also issued a statement from Vice President Isaac Torres, "The Fresno DSA is disappointed by the decision of the Tulare County District Attorney to file what appears to be a baseless charge against Deputy Eric Schmidt. We fully and firmly support Eric and look forward to his ultimate vindication."