Alameda County To Pay $36 Million Over Deputy's Double Murder And 911 Cover-up

Alameda County will salary nan family of a couple killed by an off-duty sheriff’s deputy pinch his department-issued firearm $36 cardinal to settee a wrongful lawsuit.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to o.k. nan colony successful a wrongful decease suit stemming from nan Sept. 7, 2022, killings of Benison and Maria Tran by past Deputy Devin Williams.

The litigation revealed that Williams grounded a pre-employment psychological information earlier nan region hired him and that deputies — during a anterior 911 incident pinch nan lawman and nan victims — doctored a 911 report, turned disconnected their assemblage cameras, and advised nan unfortunate not to record a restraining bid against nan deputy, which would person constricted his expertise to work.

While off-duty, successful September 2022, Williams changeable and killed nan Trans wrong their Dublin, Calif., location successful beforehand of their 14-year-old son, Brendon Tran, arsenic good arsenic Maria’s mother, brother, and cousin.

Maria Tran worked astatine John George Psychiatric Pavilion and met nan lawman aft he brought an inmate location for an evaluation. The 2 began a romanticist narration that ended astatine Maria Tran’s insistence.

Williams came to her location successful nan early greeting of Aug. 8, 2022, and rang nan doorbell repeatedly.

Four Alameda County deputies responded to a 911 telephone from nan home, and Williams identified himself arsenic a lawman and showed his recognition card. Body-worn camera footage from nan brushwood captured 1 responding lawman stating, “He’s 1 of us.” The deputies past turned disconnected nan assemblage camera microphones, according to tribunal records.

Maria Tran said she told nan responding deputies that she feared for herself and her family and was requesting thief obtaining a restraining order.

Deputies, ignoring nan department’s home unit protocols, advised that it was not imaginable to get an emergency protective order. According to nan suit and consequent discovery, they doctored a 911 report, stating that nan telephone was unfounded and that nary fishy was identified, omitting Williams’ identity.

A period later, Williams, aft moving his shift, came to nan Dublin location astatine astir 4 a.m., and first fatally changeable Benison Tran while he was connected nan telephone pinch 911. He past changeable some Benison and Maria Tran successful nan caput utilizing his work weapon, according to authorities.

“Maria’s fears for her information and that of her family were justified; nan deputies’ cover-up is simply a sedate injustice that caused 2 murders,” said lawyer Christopher Dolan, who represented nan Tran family.

“This was a double execution that nan Alameda County Sheriff’s Office had galore chances to prevent, including not hiring Williams, who grounded his psychological exam, and later acting connected Maria Tran’s petition for thief and a protective order.” He noted that Brendon was near an orphan.

In October 2024, an Alameda County assemblage convicted Williams connected 2 counts of first-degree murder. He is now serving 50 years to life successful prison.

Brendon Tran, Kim Le, Dalton Tran, and Thi Le sued nan section and Alameda County successful October 2023, alleging negligence, wrongful death, negligent hiring, retention, and supervision related to Williams’ hiring and nan Sheriff’s Department consequence to Maria Tran’s August 2022 petition for protection.

“Our hearts spell retired to nan full family for nan tragic nonaccomplishment of Maria and Benison Tran connected September 7, 2022,” Alameda County said successful a statement. “This colony ends nan ineligible chapter, and we dream it will bring a infinitesimal of bid to nan family and nan community. The County afloat supports nan Sheriff’s efforts to amended oversight and return corrective action successful nan hiring of sworn personnel.”

The revelation that Williams grounded a pre-employment psychological trial led to an audit that showed 47 Alameda County deputies — astir 5% of nan unit — received “D. Not Suited” ratings, which, nether California law, intends they should not person been hired arsenic bid officers.