By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A state investigation found that serious, “willful” safety violations by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department contributed to a July 2025 explosion that killed three bomb squad detectives.
• The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued eight citations and about $350,000 in fines against the department, which is appealing.
• The deputies had recovered what were believed to be inert grenades the day before the blast, one of which detonated at a department training facility.
• Investigators cited failures in training, handling, storage and documentation of explosive materials, and explosives left unattended.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A state investigation has found that “willful” safety violations by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were involved in a July 2025 grenade explosion that killed three detectives assigned to the department’s arson and explosives team, officials said Thursday.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued eight citations and about $350,000 in fines in January, citing failures to provide effective training, unsafe handling, storage and transport of explosive materials, and explosives left unattended, according to state findings. The sheriff’s department is appealing the fines.
Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn died when a grenade detonated in the parking lot of a Sheriff’s Department training facility in East Los Angeles on July 18, 2025, after they had recovered devices believed to be inert the previous day.
State regulators found the department did not ensure deputies received effective training, proper protective equipment, or adequate hazard evaluation and documentation related to explosive device handling, and that materials were not stored or contained appropriately.
The state also sued the department in January over its limited production of requested training records, dispatch logs and incident reports during the workplace safety inquiry. The sheriff’s department said it is cooperating with investigators within legal limits and has updated training manuals and guidelines for its arson and explosives team.