Man charged with murdering parole agent in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — California parole agent Joshua Lemont Byrd’s suspected killer was charged with murder on Monday. Bryan Keith Hall is accused of shooting Agent Byrd Thursday afternoon inside a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation office, located on Edgewater Drive in East Oakland.

The office was used for CDCR’s Division of Adult Parole Operations. Hall is charged with murdering Byrd while he was on parole.

On Monday afternoon, Hall appeared in court wearing a bulletproof vest to face murder charges. Nearly 100 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies gathered outside the courtroom to show support for Agent Byrd. A judge ordered Hall to remain in custody without bail, and set his arraignment for August 22.

After Byrd was slain in the line-of-duty Thursday, police officers swarmed the area searching for the gunman. A manhunt ended when Oakland Police Department officers found Hall on International Boulevard near 90th Avenue.

Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said, “The defendant showed up to the parole office a day late for his appointment. Mr. Byrd was not his parole agent,” Jones Dickson said.

Agent Byrd was a 40-year-old father of three and an 11-year veteran with CDCR.

Hall, 48, is a career criminal who was charged with attempted murder in 2022, court records show. He was released from jail in February 2025 through a negotiated plea deal that lowered the attempted murder charge to assault, according to CDCR officials.

Hall’s convictions date back to 1996 in Alameda County. His criminal history, which includes several convictions for assault, show he is “a serious danger to society,” prosecutors wrote in a criminal complaint.

CDCR officials explained why the felon was out of custody on parole leading up to the July 17 killing. CDCR officials wrote, “On November 22, 2022, Hall was charged with attempted murder causing great bodily injury, stemming from a stabbing that had occurred the day before. After more than two years in local jail, he was held to answer on all charges at a preliminary hearing on November 14, 2024. On February 5, 2025, the Alameda County District Attorneys office agreed to resolve the case as a violation of Penal Code section PC 245(a)(1) — assault with a deadly weapon. Pursuant to his negotiated plea, all other charges and special allegations were dismissed. He was immediately sentenced to the statutory maximum of four years. As he had accrued 1,616 days of pre-sentence credit for time served locally, he had served in jail his full sentence as defined by law, was not transferred to CDCR custody, and was immediately released to parole.”

Prior to joining CDCR, Byrd served in the United States Navy. Agent Byrd is remembered for his “bravery and dedication,” CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber said.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association wrote, “Since the state’s parole law was enacted in 1893, this is the first time a parole agent has been killed in the line of duty.”

Governor Gavin Newsom said, “This is a heartbreaking loss. Agent Byrd served with integrity and courage — and we’re forever grateful.”

If Hall is convicted, he will face life in prison without the possibility of parole, District Attorney Jones Dickson said.