Martinez police say that three officers involved in a fatal shooting outside a local cannabis dispensary in 2023 have been terminated for their actions that night – one for using excessive force and two for helping a third officer hide an illegal weapon.
The extensive document release, made available Friday, shed new light on what happened after two brothers leaving the scene of a suspected burglary at the dispensary at 4808 Sunrise Drive were hit by police gunfire. Tahmon Wilson, 20, of San Francisco, was hit in the back of the head and killed. His older brother was hit twice in the back and pulled from their car after it crashed into a fire hydrant.
Documents reveal how Officer Giani Arone, who with other officers present told superiors they opened fire when the Wilsons’ car veered toward them, kneed the wounded older brother two to three times in the head while he was handcuffed and then helped Officer Cole Bennett and Officer Alexander Tirona hide an illegal knife Bennett was carrying at the time.
Internal investigations into the alleged incidents determined that the three officers violated department policy, with Arone using unreasonable force to detain a wounded suspect and failing to report that use of force. Investigators also determined that Arone took an illegal knife from Bennett and put it in his patrol car after Tirona told Bennett to remove it.
The knife was found to be illegal to carry under state law, with investigators finding the three officers worked together to hide the weapon in order to keep Bennett from being disciplined.
Arone was fired and his termination was upheld by both the city manager and the Civil Service Commission. Bennett and Tirona were probationary officers at the time of the shooting and were released before the probe into the knife incident was finished.
“It is disappointing that misconduct occurred at the scene of this incident after the shooting and understandably adds a layer of complexity to the officer-involved shooting investigation,” Chief Andrew White said in a statement. “Once we learned of the misconduct, we took immediate action, conducting thorough investigations, and ultimately imposing termination as a disciplinary measure. As a department, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct.”
Despite the initial findings and termination of the three officers, criminal and administrative investigations into the shooting remain active, city officials said Friday, with no final determinations made regarding the officers’ use of deadly force and their compliance with department policy.
“The overall investigation… is complex and involves multiple agencies,” Martinez Mayor Brianne Zorn said. “The City of Martinez awaits the Department of Justice’s conclusion to this investigation so our community can reach a resolution to this incident.”
Ouch. Was there a gun in that car or not???
What kind of knife are we talking about here?
Thank you for this update. Much easier now to piece together.
So they saw a gun and opened fire when the car came at them?
Looks like from the body camera of the arriving police officer that ex-police officer Arone was never in danger of being hit by the Wilson brothers’ vehicle. And that he fired into the vehicle within three feet of it passing him. So he murdered one man and wounded the other, kneed the wounded brother in the head where he was shot, stole a knife from him, and then conspired to lie about the circumstances of the shooting as well as conceal the theft.
Tragic for the Wilson brothers. Truly troubling also that Martinez PD’s hiring process failed to detect Arone’s abilities to lie, injure and steal from the public.
And the Wilson family’s lawyer must have seen millions of dollars signs as he or she rewatched the police cam video.
Looking at the video, I’d say these guys have a big problem coming. The Andrew Hall shooting was much cleaner and it was marginal and he’s in prison.
I attribute it to less than optimal training at these small departments.
However, the citizens will pay the ultimate price, the police will slow role to every call and you’ll be on your own.
Firestone 11R
Nuances aside, I don’t have a problem with the officers use of deadly force. They broke into a private business and failed to yield to the officers, who have to make split second decisions. I really resent these criminals making other people’s lives more difficult. F them.
This is not about the shooting. It’s about the officers assaulting one of the people after they were detained and handcuffed. That’s ok? Just want to see if there’s any limit to what a police officer can do to someone.
Which Andrew Hall shooting? He shot 2 people. And this article does not mention the alleged gun that was found in the shooting victims’ car. There was video of this shooting released soon after the incident. There should be video released of these new findings that happened after the shooting.
Sounds like job for robocop.
If armed criminals are shot during a robbery, I shed no tears, but I don’t accept criminals in the police force either. These probees are being asked to cover up for the senior officer, apparently, and their response is “fine. Glad I could help.” An officer can’t be just a little bit corrupt any more than someone can be just a little bit pregnant. Once you’re in, you are in all the way.
I worked in the grey area.
Firestone 11R
So, responding to my analogy, just a little corrupted, fractionally pregnant? The head? The torso? Just a toe pregnant? You are just a toe corrupted? No more no less?