Alameda County to pay $36 million over deputy's double murder and 911 cover-up

"The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the Sept. 7, 2022, killings of Benison and Maria Tran by then Deputy Devin Williams. The litigation revealed that Williams failed a pre-employment psychological evaluation before the county hired him and that deputies - during a prior 911 incident with the deputy and the victims - doctored a 911 report, turned off their body cameras, and advised the victim not to file a restraining order against the deputy, which would have limited his ability to work."

"While off-duty, in September 2022, Williams shot and killed the Trans inside their Dublin, Calif., home in front of their 14-year-old son, Brendon Tran, as well as Maria's mother, brother, and cousin. Maria Tran worked at John George Psychiatric Pavilion and met the deputy after he brought an inmate there for an evaluation. The two began a romantic relationship that ended at Maria Tran's insistence."

"Williams came to her home in the early morning of Aug. 8, 2022, and rang the doorbell repeatedly. Four Alameda County deputies responded to a 911 call from the home, and Williams identified himself as a deputy and showed his identification card. Body-worn camera footage from the encounter captured one responding deputy stating, "He's one of us." The deputies then turned off the body camera microphones, according to court records."

"Maria Tran said she told the responding deputies that she feared for herself and her family and was requesting help obtaining a restraining order. Deputies, ignoring the department's domestic violence protocols, advised that it was not possible to get an emergency protective order. According to the lawsuit and subsequent discovery, they doctored a 911 report, stating that the"

Alameda County approved a $36 million settlement for the family of Benison and Maria Tran, killed by then Deputy Devin Williams using his department-issued firearm. The killings occurred on Sept. 7, 2022, in their Dublin, California home, with their 14-year-old son and other family members present. Court records and litigation findings stated that Williams failed a pre-employment psychological evaluation before being hired. The litigation also alleged that deputies involved in a prior 911 incident doctored the 911 report, turned off body cameras, and advised Maria Tran not to file for a restraining order that could have limited Williams’s ability to work. Deputies allegedly ignored domestic violence protocols and told her an emergency protective order was not possible.

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