Former Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy of the year arrested on illegal gun charges
Contra Costa County Deputy Matthew Buckley won Officer of the Year.
MARTINEZ, Calif. - Contra Costa County Sheriff's investigators have arrested a 15-year veteran deputy who won "Officer of the Year" two years in a row during an illegal firearms investigation.
The Sheriff's Office on Friday said they booked Matthew Buckley, 41, of Pinole, into the Martinez Detention Facility on two counts of felony grand theft of a firearm, two counts of receiving stolen property, filing a false report and possession of a controlled substance.
He won top awards for his service from his department in 2019 and 2018.
Efforts to speak to Buckley or his lawyer were not immediately successful on Friday.
As of Friday morning, no criminal charges had formally been filed against him.
Sean Welch, president of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's union, was apprised of the arrest on Thursday. Because this was a criminal investigation, the union's legal defense fund doesn't pay for his representation.
"If he is found guilty he should serve his time," Welch said. "It's a complete embarrassment to our association."
Welch said that many in the public will assume that "all cops are bad," but he noted that his agency's own investigators brought these allegations to light to oust this type of behavior from their ranks.
Buckley posted $175,000 bail on Thursday and remains out of custody, according to the District Attorney's Office.
He is on paid administrative leave.
"When we were first apprised of the allegations, we immediately started an investigation," Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston said in a statement. "No one is above the law and employees of the Sheriff's Office who violate the law will be held accountable. I am disappointed but this arrest is not a reflection of the many outstanding employees of the Sheriff's Office."
When deputies arrived, Eddie Thomas went out and opened a wood door to the property, but he did not open a grated metal security door for the officers. Oct. 28, 2018 (Kennedy Helm/via Dejanae Marshay Malone-McFarland)
Buckley was also the subject of a federal lawsuit in 2019 when a Bay Point couple alleged their civil rights were violated when they called 911 for help – and instead of investigating the complaint, Buckley and his colleague arrested the caller’s boyfriend instead.
Eddie Thomas Jr. and Dejanae Marshay Malone-McFarland alleged that Buckley and fellow deputy Thomas Shields had no warrant to search their home and lacked probable cause to believe that either of them were the perpetrators of any crime.
The suit, filed in US District Court Northern District of California, also accused the deputies of using excessive force "in the absence of any objectively reasonable information that [he] had committed any crime. There was no need to use force against Mr. Thomas under these circumstances," the suit states.
Anyone with any information should contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.
KTVU's Henry Lee contributed to this report.