Convictions secured in murder case at center of Antioch PD racist text scandal
(KRON) – Four men pleaded no contest to the 2021 murder of Arnold Marcel Hawkins and the attempted murder of Aaron Patterson, the Contra Costa District Attorney said on Tuesday.
The defendants, Terryonn Deshawn Pugh, 23, Eric James Windom, 25, Keyshawn Malik McGee, 25, and Trent Allen, 23, were charged on a six-count felony complaint with enhancements in November 2021 for the killing of Patterson in a March 2021 shooting.
Antioch police officers collected ‘trophies’ from crime scenes: FBI
In a separate matter, an investigation concerning the District Attorney’s Office and the FBI was initiated into allegations of police misconduct by officers in the Antioch and Pittsburg Police Departments.
During that separate investigation in early 2023, investigators found a trove of racist text messages exchanged by Antioch police officers.
The scandal exploded when investigators revealed some officers collected trophies from shooting scenes, exchanged racist text messages, bragged about deploying K-9 units to attack suspects, and intentionally left their body-worn cameras off.
These messages also revealed that while investigating the murder suspects who took the life of Arnold Hawkins, the officers were sending and receiving messages about the murder suspects that included racist slurs, images, and written descriptions, the DA said.
The text messages violated the California Racial Justice Act (RJA) — a law that prohibits bias, animus, and racially discriminatory language based on race, ethnicity, or national origin in charges, convictions, and sentences.
First East Bay officer roped into massive scandal pleads no contest
After multiple hearings, the court dismissed the special circumstance allegations, as well as the gang and firearm enhancements, on February 5.
Pugh, Windom, McGee and Allen all pleaded no contest Monday to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder in the March 2021 shooting that led to the death of Hawkins, the DA said.
The four defendants have entered no contest please and are facing sentences of between 13 and 20 years. Sentencing is due later this week.
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