Chad Michael Bennett, 39, who was fired from the Murrieta
Police Department in February, was charged with stalking, domestic violence and
two felony counts of false imprisonment, as well as four misdemeanors and other
charges less than a month after he sent an angry, rambling letter to city officials
and the news media criticizing his former bosses. (The letter was filled with
profanities directed at his former superiors, accused police officials of
treating him unfairly and named several officers he said had engaged in
extramarital affairs and otherwise behaved badly.) Bennett is being held with bail set at
$250,000. According to Riverside County court records, Bennett, who was
apparently suicidal, was detained at Loma Linda University Medical Center in
Murrieta May 1 for trespassing on hospital grounds. Hospital officials had previously asked him to
stay away because of harassing behavior towards his ex-girlfriend, who is a
hospital employee.