South Bend Police Review Board Votes 4-1 to Investigate Officer Conduct

Board cites need for more de-escalation training after reviewing two citizen complaints

Mar. 23, 2026 at 8:50am

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The South Bend Community Police Review Board heard two complaints against the South Bend Police Department and voted 4-1 to investigate one case further, despite the lack of a majority vote needed to do so. The board discussed the need for more police training in de-escalation techniques after reviewing body camera footage of the incidents.

Why it matters

The South Bend Community Police Review Board plays a key role in providing oversight and accountability for the local police department. Their votes on citizen complaints can lead to further investigations and potential policy changes around officer conduct and training.

The details

In the first case, police were called to a school for a report of an aggressive parent confronting the principal. Officers told the parent to leave school property, and when she refused, they chased her and used restraint techniques to detain her. The board unanimously agreed the officers acted lawfully, but the board president argued the parent may not have understood the school property boundaries. In the second case, officers pulled over a driver for running a stop sign. When the driver did not immediately exit the vehicle as ordered, officers tried to forcibly remove him and used a Taser, which the board said was an unlawful use of force when the driver was complying.

  • The board meeting took place on March 19, 2026.
  • The two complaints reviewed were CPRB 2025-19 and CPRB 2025-009.

The players

Cheryl Ashe

Acting president of the South Bend Community Police Review Board, who maintained throughout the meeting that police need more training in de-escalation techniques.

Robert Masters

Attorney for the South Bend Community Police Review Board.

Charles King III

Member of the South Bend Community Police Review Board who read the details of the two complaints to the board.

Sharon Banicki

The lone dissenting vote on the board's decision regarding the second complaint.

De Bryant

A member of the South Bend Community Police Review Board who argued that the officer's use of force against the compliant driver was unlawful.

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What they’re saying

“I've seen problems with how they're trained. I could understand her not understanding that one foot on the grass was being on school property.”

— Cheryl Ashe, Acting Board President

“The officer walks up to the car, the citizen is asking what I felt were reasonable questions, 'Why have you stopped me? What do you want? No, I don't want you to search my car. You have to give me a reason.' They brushed all that aside, so apparently, according to their responses, it's not OK to want to know, why are you stopping me?”

— De Bryant, Board Member

What’s next

The South Bend Police Department will need to provide further information and body camera footage to the review board as they investigate the second complaint further, despite the lack of a majority vote to do so.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges in balancing police authority and citizen rights, as well as the need for comprehensive de-escalation training to prevent unnecessary confrontations and use of force. The review board's role in providing oversight and accountability is crucial for improving police-community relations in South Bend.