“Deputies falsified the 911 call record,” did not generate a required incident report regarding the encounter, failed to follow ACSO domestic violence protocols and “failed to advise [Ms. Tran] regarding an emergency protective order.” Attorney Chris Dolan

OAKLAND, CA—Civil rights attorney and former Alameda County District Attorney candidate Pamela Price held a press conference today in Oakland and released the following statement:

In September 2022, an Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputy - Devin Williams - brutally murdered a couple in Dublin California. He was charged by my predecessor, Nancy O’Malley, with two counts of murder with gun enhancements.

My office successfully prosecuted Mr. Williams and obtained guilty verdicts against him on all charges on October 3, 2024. He was sentenced to 50 years to life.

Alameda County has agreed to pay a ground-breaking $36 million to the survivors of this horrific crime. Former Deputy Williams murdered Maria Tran and her husband Benison Tran with his government-issued gun.

The case against Alameda County hinged on two issues: (1) Mr. Williams was hired by former Sheriff Greg Ahern despite having failed to pass a psychological test; and (2) Sheriff’s deputies covered up a previous 911 call by Ms. Tran during which she asked for their help in obtaining a gun violence restraining order (GVRO) against Mr. Williams.

As a survivor of domestic violence, I know all too well how law enforcement’s response to a domestic violence call can make the difference between life and death. For Maria Tran, the Sheriff’s Deputies’ failure to act and the cover-up of the call cost not only her life, but the life of her husband.

I saw the same scenario play out in the brutal murder of Rachel Imani Elizabeth Buckner, whose family called law enforcement for help many times, and nothing was done until after she was murdered. My office obtained a conviction in that case as well. In Ms. Buckner’s case, we were disturbed by law enforcement’s inappropriate response to a deadly pattern of domestic violence before the murder occurred.

In Alameda County, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are often afraid to come forward. When they do come forward, their concerns are too often dismissed by law enforcement leaving them without support. In August 2022, Maria Tran called for help in Alameda County and got none. Instead, Sheriff’s deputies covered up a crime to protect one of their own.

In addition to the payment of $36 million dollars, the lack of accountability for the cover-up should be a concern for every resident of Alameda County.

In my first term, we charged multiple Sheriff’s deputies with falsifying documents associated with the in-custody deaths of Vinetta Martin and Maurice Monk. Most of those cases were dismissed within months of the interim District Attorney’s appointment and in shocking proximity to the two fundraisers hosted by Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez (see attached Pay-to-Play chronology).

When I am re-elected to serve as District Attorney, I pledge to

• resume our efforts to dramatically improve access to gun violence restraining orders (GVROs),
• work with the Court to track the enforcement of those orders using the $5.5 million grant we obtained from the State, and
• hold law enforcement, including the Sheriff’s office, accountable for failing to support victims and falsifying records to cover up any misconduct.