By Richard Winton
Los Angeles Times
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ALAMEDA, Calif. — Alameda County will pay the family of a couple killed by an off-duty sheriff’s deputy with his department-issued firearm $36 million to settle a wrongful lawsuit.
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.
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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 call was unfounded and that no suspect was identified, omitting Williams’ identity.
A month later, Williams, after working his shift, came to the Dublin home at about 4 a.m., and first fatally shot Benison Tran while he was on the phone with 911. He then shot both Benison and Maria Tran in the head using his service weapon, according to authorities.
“Maria’s fears for her safety and that of her family were justified; the deputies’ cover-up is a grave injustice that caused two murders,” said attorney Christopher Dolan, who represented the Tran family.
“This was a double murder that the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office had many chances to prevent, including not hiring Williams, who failed his psychological exam, and later acting on Maria Tran’s request for help and a protective order.” He noted that Brendon was left an orphan.
In October 2024, an Alameda County jury convicted Williams on two counts of first-degree murder. He is now serving 50 years to life in prison.
Brendon Tran, Kim Le, Dalton Tran, and Thi Le sued the department and Alameda County in October 2023, alleging negligence, wrongful death, negligent hiring, retention, and supervision related to Williams’ hiring and the Sheriff’s Department response to Maria Tran’s August 2022 request for protection.
“Our hearts go out to the entire family for the tragic loss of Maria and Benison Tran on September 7, 2022,” Alameda County said in a statement. “This settlement ends the legal chapter, and we hope it will bring a moment of peace to the family and the community. The County fully supports the Sheriff’s efforts to improve oversight and take corrective action in the hiring of sworn personnel.”
The revelation that Williams failed a pre-employment psychological test led to an audit that showed 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.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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