Alameda County will pay $36 million to the family of a couple killed by an off-duty sheriff’s deputy with a gun issued by his department to settle a wrongful lawsuit.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted on September 7, 2022, to approve the settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the killing of Bennison and Maria Tran by then-Deputy Devin Williams.
The litigation revealed that Williams failed a pre-employment psychological evaluation before being hired by the county and that the deputy – during a prior 911 incident with the deputy and the victim – tampered with 911 reports, turned off his body cameras, and advised the victim not to file a restraining order against the deputy, which would have limited his ability to do his job.
While off-duty, in September 2022, Williams shot and killed Tran inside their Dublin, California home in front of his 14-year-old son, Brandon Tran, as well as Mariah’s mother, brother and cousin.
Maria Tran worked at the John George Psychiatric Pavilion and met the deputy after an inmate was brought there for evaluation. The two began a romantic relationship which ended at Maria Tran’s insistence.
Williams came to her home on the morning of August 8, 2022, and rang the doorbell repeatedly.
Four Alameda County deputies responded to a 911 call from the home, and Williams identified himself as the deputy and showed his identification card. Body-worn camera footage during the encounter captured a responding deputy saying, “He’s one of us.” Deputies turned off the body camera microphones, according to court records.
Maria Tran said she told responding deputies she feared for herself and her family and was requesting help getting a restraining order.
Representatives ignored the department’s domestic violence protocols and advised that it was not possible to obtain an emergency protective order. According to the trial and subsequent discovery, he tampered with the 911 report, stating that the call was unfounded and no suspects were identified except Williams.
A month later, Williams, after working his shift, came to the Dublin home around 4 a.m. and shot Bennison Tran first while he was on the phone to 911. According to authorities, he then used his service weapon to shoot both Bennison and Maria Tran in the head.
Christopher Dolan, an attorney representing the Tran family, said, “Maria’s fears for her own and her family’s safety were justified; the deputy’s cover-up is a grave injustice that led to two murders.”
“This was a double murder that the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office had multiple opportunities to prevent, including not hiring Williams, who had failed his psychological exam, and later acting on Maria Tran’s request for help and a protective order.” He said that Brendan was left an orphan.
In October 2024, an Alameda County jury convicted Williams of two counts of first-degree murder. He is now serving a sentence ranging from 50 years to life in prison.
Brandon 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’s response to Maria Tran’s August 2022 request for protection.
“Our thoughts are with the entire family for the tragic loss of Maria and Bennison Tran on September 7, 2022,” Alameda County said in a statement. “This settlement closes this legal chapter, and we hope it brings a moment of peace to the family and 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 resulted in an audit that showed 47 Alameda County deputies – about 5% of the force – received a “D. Not Suited” rating, which under California law means they should not have been hired as peace officers.
