The Santa Clara County grand jury is investigating an incident in which members of a Yuba County sheriff's SWAT team allegedly tried to sexually assault one of their colleagues in a Morgan Hill motel room as part of a hazing ritual... The alleged victim, Deputy Chad Ellis, filed a claim against Yuba County this week alleging that a lieutenant, three sergeants and three deputies were involved in the incident Sept. 24, 2003... Ellis, who has been on the department two years, said his colleagues surprised him in his motel room, bound him with duct tape, punched and kicked him and pulled down his pants to sexually assault him with a pole. The other SWAT team members stopped only when he suffered a torn muscle in his shoulder and screamed, said the claim... Ellis alleges in the claim that the other SWAT team members told him he was going to be sexually assaulted and showed him photos of an earlier such hazing. He took his concerns to Yuba County sheriff's Lt. Sean Smith, who told him not to worry, the claim says. 'Lt. Smith laughed and said he would protect Deputy Ellis,' the claim against Yuba County says. 'Lt. Smith was at the motel on Sept. 24, 2003, and allowed the attempted sexual assault to proceed.'"
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