“Deputy Hall ordered Tyrell Wilson to drop the knife a third time, and then shot him once with his firearm,” the report continues. “Tyrell Wilson was struck in the head and collapsed to the ground.”
Wilson was pronounced dead at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek two days later.
About a month later, Becton’s office announced criminal charges against Hall for fatally shooting Laudemer Arboleda in 2018. In that case, Hall drove his police vehicle in front of a pursuit and fired into Arboleda’s car as it moved slowly past the former officer.
After a three-week trial, the jury deadlocked on manslaughter charges, but convicted Hall of assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to a six-year prison term in March of this year. Hall has filed an appeal.
Becton declined to explain why, having been able to bring charges in the Arboleda case, she was unable to do so in regard to Wilson’s death.
“Every single case that we look at is going to be evaluated and is going to be based on the factual circumstances and the evidence in that particular case,” she said.
Karen Beck was among a small group of protesters outside the DA’s office on Friday, holding a sign that said, “Justice for Tyrell.”
Beck said she lived in the same neighborhood in Danville as Wilson and his family, who have said he was bipolar and suffered from schizophrenia.
“It was clear he had mental health issues, but all he wanted was to be left alone,” she said. “Having seen and been around him, I’m sure that if the officer had just deescalated that, we didn’t need to have Tyrell dead.”
Becton said her office asked three separate use-of-force experts to evaluate the case, with two finding that Hall’s actions did not violate law or policy.
A third expert found Hall’s use of deadly force was not necessary under the totality of the circumstances, Becton said. That phrasing relates to a 2020 change in state law that lowered the legal threshold for filing charges against peace officers for on-duty shootings.
Still, Becton said, a jury could reasonably side with the other two experts, and that means she should not file charges.
“Under the law, if two reasonable conclusions can be drawn from circumstantial evidence, and one of those reasonable conclusions points to innocence, jurors are instructed that they must accept the one that points to innocence and reject the one that points to guilt,” Becton said.
Civil rights attorney John Burris said Friday that Wilson’s family is disappointed with Becton’s decision.
“The officer had opportunity to deescalate,” Burris said.
Contra Costa County has paid a total of $9.4 million in settlement money to the families of both Wilson and Arboleda, even while Wilson’s killing was still being investigated.
