THIRD POLICE OFFICER ADMITS STEROID ABUSE

A third officer has admitted involvement in the Bakersfield police steroids
scandal but will not be prosecuted because there is no other evidence
against him, a Kern County District Attorney's official said Friday.

The officer has been suspended, and his case is being handled
administratively by police officials, Assistant District Attorney Stephen
Tauzer said. Tauzer would not name the third officer.

A defendant cannot be convicted only on his or her own admissions, Tauzer said.

All three officers admitted their involvement with the drugs during
statements to investigators June 28, Tauzer said. Officers Stephen Shepard
and Joshua Anderberg are being prosecuted because steroids also were seized
after searches of their homes.

"It's kind of an open-and-shut case," Tauzer said.

Shepard is expected to be charged Monday with sale and distribution of
anabolic steroids. He is out of jail on $10,000 bail.

Shepard got the steroids, then sold four bottles of the drugs to each of
the other two officers, the statements indicate. Shepard told officials he
has used the drugs regularly -- on and off in cycles of weeks at a time --
since September or October of last year, Tauzer said.

Investigators also seized a sheet from Shepard indicating sales to the two
officers, Tauzer said.

Anderberg paid $160 for the steroids, and the third officer paid $170, the
statements indicate.

Steroids are for muscle growth and weight gain. Users can become more
aggressive, but police officials said no behavior changes were noted in the
two defendants.

Anderberg told investigators he had always been tall and skinny and could
never put on weight, Tauzer said. Anderberg said he partially used one
bottle, kept one and -- for an unknown reason -- threw away two other bottles.

Anderberg said he learned Shepard got steroids from a man who went to
Mexico for them, Tauzer said.

Anderberg will face a misdemeanor charge of possession of anabolic
steroids, Tauzer said.

The officers gave different time estimates for when they bought the drugs,
but all said it was within the last several months, Tauzer said.

No other officers are named in reports from the investigation, Tauzer said.

The two officers being prosecuted were suspended with pay pending the
outcome of the criminal and internal affairs investigations.