In what authorities are calling a “very bizarre chain of events,” a California deputy surrendered to police for allegedly killing a couple with his service gun while they were sleeping.
On Wednesday, deputy Devin Williams, Jr., 24, turned himself in, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said via a release shared on social media.
In a press conference on Wednesday, captured by Bay Area CBS affiliate KPIX, Dublin Police Chief Garrett Holmes said someone called 911 around 12:45 a.m. local time about an intruder with a gun. The suspect “ultimately fired that firearm and killed two people in our community,” said Holmes.
Witnesses allegedly identified Williams as the shooter, Dublin Police Services Capt. Nate Schmidt said, according to Pleasanton Weekly.
“It’s a great loss for our community and it’s even more disheartening to find out that it was one of our own that actually was the trigger person behind this tragedy,” Holmes said.
He added that when officers arrived, the male and female victim, whose identities were not immediately shared, could not be saved.
Following the 911 call, police were told that the shooter took off in “a dark-colored vehicle”, which authorities investigated and alerted other police agencies in the state.
“Just recently, we received a call from the suspect and he wanted to turn himself in,” Holmes said during the conference, adding that Williams was then located and arrested.
“Our agency’s in shock,” Alameda County Public Information Officer Ray Kelly said. He shared that Holmes took the call and was emotional after speaking with Williams for 45 minutes, which led to his surrender.
“This is not something we deal with,” Kelly said. “This is not what we’re about. We had no idea that this could happen. Mr. Williams grew up in a very affluent home, well-loved, graduated from college with honors, was really a remarkable young person. How we got here today will be a part of our investigation.”
He added that Williams allegedly tossed the weapon, which Kelly later said “was his duty firearm,” and authorities were searching for it at the time of the press conference.
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Authorities are working to confirm the relationship between Williams and the two victims. Kelly noted that the people killed are married and share an adolescent child.
“He knew them,” Kelly said of Williams’ relationship with the victims. “This was not a random crime. This is a very bizarre chain of events that unfolded.”
A family member visiting from out of town was also in the home during the fatal shooting and is working with police as a key witness, Kelly said.
When asked by a reporter if Williams suffered any mental health issues, Kelly said, “No. There’s nothing in his background that would indicate that. He’s been with our agency for a year. We’re going to go back in time and look at what’s transpired in his life over the last year to see exactly what led up to this moment.”
Kelly said that the incident has caused some in the agency to wonder if they “missed something.”
“He was a very good candidate for law enforcement. Somewhere in the last several months of his life some significant events happened that led up to this moment. A lot of those events went undiscovered and undisclosed.”
The District Attorney’s Office of Alameda County will join the investigation with the Sheriff’s office unless any conflict of interest arises. If that happens, other agencies will be brought in, Kelly said.
“At the end of the day, this is a tragedy. We’re all in shock,” Kelly said.
During his time on the force, Williams worked in the court division in Oakland, California. Authorities had not heard any bad reports about him, said Kelly.
Before Alameda County, Williams graduated from the police academy in Stockton, California. He was later terminated when he didn’t pass the field training program, Kelly said, per ABC News.
Stockton Police spokesperson, Officer Joseph Silva, confirmed that Williams was at the agency from January 2020 until a year later. He told the outlet the details of Williams’ departure couldn’t be discussed as it is a “personnel matter.”
Wednesday’s tragedy marked Williams’ one-year anniversary with Alameda County, ABC News reported.
It’s not clear if Williams has hired a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
Source: Page Six
