OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) – Officials in California say a man who was recently released from jail is in custody in connection with the shooting death of a parole agent.
A law enforcement procession carried the body of 40-year-old parole agent Joshua Byrd as he made his final journey Friday from Oakland to Sacramento.
Byrd joined the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2014 after serving with distinction in the U.S. Navy. He had only recently started as a parole agent in Oakland when he was shot and killed Thursday afternoon while at the office.
Hours later, police arrested 48-year-old Bryan Keith Hall, who had been out of jail for just a week and a half before the shooting. He is charged with first-degree murder.
Court records show Hall has a long criminal history, dating back to 1996. The CDCR confirmed he was charged with attempted murder causing great bodily injury related to a stabbing in 2022. He spent two years in jail before being sentenced earlier this year.
Hall was sentenced to four years for assault with a deadly weapon, and all other charges and special allegations were dismissed as part of a negotiated plea. He was released on parole immediately because he had already served time.
Those who worked with Byrd are calling him an extremely hardworking man who became involved in all he could. He was the type of colleague who wanted the best for everyone and was funny, without even trying to be.
He leaves behind a wife and three children.
“This is a heartbreaking loss. Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage — and we’re forever grateful,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement Thursday evening. “We are keeping his family in our prayers.”
The CDCR says Byrd’s death marks the first time a parole agent has been killed in the line of duty since the state enacted the parole law in 1893.
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