The sheriff who accused me of being a Trump killer wanted to be a hero, Vem Miller says in the lawsuit

A man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump has claimed he was defamed by a local sheriff who tried to portray himself as a hero.

Vem Miller, who was arrested Sunday on the sidelines of a Trump rally, has filed a lawsuit against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and other officials who he says caused “irreparable damage” to his reputation.

He alleges in court papers that the sheriff knowingly made “delusional claims” that he had saved the former president from an assassin, despite being told beforehand by federal authorities that they did not consider Mr. Miller a threat.

Miller was arrested and questioned by police on Sunday on the fringes of a Trump rally in Coachella, California, when officers found a shotgun and a handgun in the trunk of his car.

Bianco later claimed that he had prevented a third attempt on Trump’s life, after Thomas Matthew Crooks grazed the Republican’s ear with a bullet in July and Ryan Routh allegedly met him on a golf course with a gun in September.

Mr. Miller, who lives in Las Vegas and runs a news channel that promotes conspiracy theories, claimed he was portraying himself as a “heroic sheriff” who saved the former president’s life.

The lawsuit claims the 49-year-old was not interviewed by the FBI or Secret Service after he was taken into custody because they did not take the murder charges seriously or “believe Miller posed a threat.”

Nevertheless, Mr. Bianco “continued to make ridiculous accusations against Miller while holding press conferences to perpetuate his misleading and false narrative,” the report alleges.

“If you ask me now, I probably had officers who prevented the third murder attempt,” the Riverside County sheriff said at a news conference Sunday.

He also said that Mr. Miller was arrested because he was in possession of fake passports and appeared to be a member of an anti-government group of “sovereign citizens” – claims that the lawsuit described as “ridiculous.”

The complaint, filed in Mr. Miller’s home state of Nevada, alleges, among other things, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation.

The firing is being sought of an individual named “Deputy Coronado,” who allegedly conducted an “unlawful and unconstitutional” search of his car after allegedly informing officers outside the meeting that he had two guns.

Miller said in a video statement Monday that he was seeking “hundreds of millions of dollars” in damages from authorities after he was named as a potential Trump assassin.

The sheriff told a local news channel at the time: “We probably stopped another murder attempt.”

Mr. Bianco later repeated this claim at a news conference, telling reporters: “I probably had deputies who prevented a third assassination attempt.

“If we’re so lost politically that we’ve lost sight of common sense, reality and reason, we can’t say, ‘Holy guy, who did he show up for with all that stuff and loaded guns?’

“And I’m going to be accused of being dramatic? We have a serious, serious problem in this country. Because this is common sense and reasonableness.”

He claimed to be hiding out in a “cheap motel room” due to fears for his safety. The firearms had never been fired and he only bought them in 2022 after receiving death threats, he added.

The lawsuit seeks Mr. Coronado’s immediate dismissal, a declaration from the court that the defendants violated his rights, and a court order for the Sheriff’s Department to implement new training policies.

“Defendants willfully, knowingly, and with wanton disregard for Miller’s constitutional rights, used the media to fabricate a false and malicious story and unlawfully disclosed and disseminated this information for the purpose of humiliating him and destroying his livelihood destroy,” the court states.

It also claims: “The evidence will show that the officers were trained to act exactly in the way they acted and therefore trained to do exactly the wrong thing.

“If the officers had been properly trained in the fundamental principles of search and seizure and the safekeeping of private information, this incident would not have occurred.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that it was taking the lawsuit “seriously” but could not comment on the details of the ongoing case.

“We are committed to transparency and will fully cooperate with the legal process. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of the community we serve,” it added.

Mr Bianco endorsed Mr Trump earlier this year, saying it was time to “put a criminal in the White House”, and spoke in support of the former president at the Coachella event.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.