Prosecutors have asked the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to audit the disciplinary practices at the Sheriff's Office and to increase outside oversight of misconduct after KTVU reported that the sheriff had disdain for a judge sentencing one of his former deputies to six years in prison after killing a man.
"Police have wide latitude to use force, but when they unnecessarily kill they must be held accountable just like anyone else in our community. When we do not hold police accountable, people do not trust the legal system to protect them. That makes the job of policing more difficult and dangerous, and it makes it far less likely that crimes will be reported. That, in turn, poses a threat to everyone's safety.
On March 4, Judge Terri Mockler sentenced Hall to six years in prison for that shooting, saying there was no justification for Arboleda's death. San Francisco's DA Chesa Boudin, San Joaquin DA Tori Verber Salazar and LA's DA George Gascon also form this alliance. Livingston also specifically took aim at Becton when he wrote: "For our district attorney to charge a deputy sheriff, or any peace officer, for a crime based on a split-second tactical decision is abhorrent."