Alameda County approved a $36 million settlement with the Tran family after a jury convicted Deputy Devin Williams of first-degree murder.
A $36 million settlement approved by Alameda County brings closure to a wrongful death lawsuit tied to a deputy’s double murder and an alleged 911 cover-up that exposed serious failures in hiring and domestic violence response.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to pay the family of Benison and Maria Tran. who were killed by then-Deputy Devin Williams with a department-issued firearm.. The settlement resolves a wrongful death case connected to the Sept.. 7, 2022 killings in Dublin, California, when Williams shot the couple in their home in front of their 14-year-old son, Brendon Tran.
Court findings during the litigation pointed to issues that began before Williams ever put on a badge.. The lawsuit alleged that Williams failed a required pre-employment psychological evaluation, yet the county hired him anyway.. The record also alleged that during an earlier 911 incident involving Williams and the Trans family. deputies doctored a 911 report. turned off body cameras. and advised Maria Tran not to seek a restraining order—an action that the lawsuit said would have limited Williams’ ability to work.
Those earlier events unfolded against a backdrop of a relationship that had turned volatile.. Maria Tran worked at John George Psychiatric Pavilion and met Williams after he brought an inmate there for an evaluation.. The two began a romantic relationship, which ended when Maria Tran insisted it should end.
According to the lawsuit and discovery, Williams showed up at the couple’s 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 residence.. During the encounter. Williams identified himself as a deputy and showed his identification card. and body-worn footage captured a responding deputy saying. “He’s one of us.” The court record further said the deputies turned off body camera microphones during the interaction.
Maria Tran told responding deputies she feared for her safety and that of her family, and she requested help obtaining a restraining order. The lawsuit alleges deputies ignored the department’s domestic violence protocols and told her it was not possible to get an emergency protective order.
The case also alleged that deputies doctored the 911 report from that earlier incident.. Investigators said the report characterized the call as unfounded and omitted Williams’ identity. despite the encounter involving a deputy who presented himself as law enforcement.. The litigation described the alleged omissions and conduct as part of a broader pattern of steering the situation away from protective measures.
A month later, Williams returned to the Dublin home at about 4 a.m. after working his shift, according to authorities. He fatally shot Benison Tran while Benison was on the phone with 911, then shot both Benison and Maria Tran in the head using his service weapon, the report stated.
The legal claims emphasized the human consequences of missed opportunities to prevent further harm.. The family’s attorney. Christopher Dolan. argued that Maria’s fears were justified and that the alleged cover-up caused two deaths.. Dolan said the county had multiple chances to intervene. including not hiring Williams after he failed his psychological exam and acting on Maria Tran’s requests for help and protective orders—leaving Brendon as an orphan.
In the criminal case, an Alameda County jury convicted Williams in October 2024 on two counts of first-degree murder. He is now serving 50 years to life in prison.
The wrongful death suit was filed by Brendon Tran, Kim Le, Dalton Tran, and Thi Le in October 2023.. The complaint alleged negligence and wrongful death. as well as claims tied to negligent hiring. retention. and supervision. including the Sheriff’s Department response to Maria Tran’s August 2022 request for protection.
After the settlement vote, Alameda County said it has ended “the legal chapter” for the family, while acknowledging the tragedy.. In a statement. the county said. “Our hearts go out to the entire family for the tragic loss of Maria and Benison Tran on September 7. 2022.” It added that it hopes the settlement will bring “a moment of peace” to the family and the community. and said the county fully supports efforts by the Sheriff’s Office to improve oversight and take corrective action in hiring sworn personnel.
Beyond the settlement itself, the litigation also triggered scrutiny of the department’s hiring standards.. The revelation that Williams failed a pre-employment psychological test led to an audit that found 47 Alameda County deputies—about 5% of the force—received “D.. Not Suited” ratings, which under California law means they should not have been hired as peace officers.. That discovery raised questions about how broadly such failures were handled and whether similar risks were addressed before deputies were granted authority.
The case illustrates how procedural decisions—such as whether body cameras are active. whether emergency protective orders can be pursued. and whether reports accurately reflect who was involved—can have life-or-death consequences.. When alleged protective steps are undermined. victims may lose critical time to secure safeguards. and law enforcement systems may fail to respond as intended.
For Maria Tran’s family. the settlement is also a recognition of the stakes involved in law enforcement accountability: the criminal conviction does not restore what was lost. but it can clarify what happened and why legal relief became necessary.. For the broader community. the county’s stated commitment to corrective action places the spotlight on how oversight. training. and screening must work together to prevent similar tragedies.
Meanwhile. Williams’ conviction and the settlement approval leave the case with two simultaneous realities: a criminal process that resulted in prison time. and a civil process that attempted to determine responsibility across hiring practices and emergency response.. As Alameda County moves forward with promised improvements. the outcome will likely shape how residents and advocacy groups evaluate domestic violence responses and the handling of 911 calls involving active officers.
Alameda County settlement Devin Williams Tran family 911 cover-up wrongful death lawsuit domestic violence protocols first-degree murder conviction
36 million and nobody actually loses their job over this i guarantee it
wait so they KNEW he failed the psych test and still hired him?? thats the part that gets me, like the family literally warned them something was wrong and they just covered it up anyway. my heart breaks for that kid who had to watch that happen, 14 years old man thats gonna stay with him forever.
this is why i always say california has the worst run counties in the whole country, they just throw money at problems instead of actually fixing anything. 36 million sounds like a lot but that just comes from taxpayers anyway so nobody who actually did wrong is paying a single dime. and the deputies who turned off the cameras are probably still working there collecting pension while this family buried two people. i dont even think the settlement is enough honestly when you think about what that boy lost, both his parents gone like that. whole system needs to be overhauled not just one county
so the 911 call was fake?? i thought he was responding to a call not that he was the one being called about, im confused on how this all started