Brother Of Sacramento Police Officer Killed On Job Announces Bid For Placer County Sheriff
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Bill Bean was a Sacramento police officer killed in the line of duty in 1999.
His death had a powerful impact on the community, and now, more than 20 years later, that impact is inspiring his brother to run for Placer County sheriff.
Brandon Bean announced Monday he filed paperwork to run for the elected office.
"How often do you think about Bill," Steve Large asked.
"Every day," Brandon Bean said. "Without fail, every day."
Bean recalls the moment he knew his older brother had died in the line of duty.
"Just before, I got a call from a friend who told me that my brother had died, I saw a shooting star, and it was one of the brightest shooting stars I have ever seen in my life," he said.
It was a sign that then sent Bean on a lifelong mission.
A family photo shows all the Bean brothers — Chris, Bill and Brandon — standing together. Chris Bean became a Placer County teacher.
Brandon Bean, two years younger than Bill Bean, immediately joined the police academy and was sworn in as a law enforcement officer just a year later.
"And I have spent 23 years trying to get to that point where I can sleep at night without worrying about all the crimes coming up the hill," Brandon Bean said.
Video shows the 1999 Sacramento shooting scene that left officer Bill Bean dead. A suspect's gunshot hit under his bulletproof vest following a traffic stop on Rio Linda Boulevard and Grand Avenue.
The suspect was eventually tracked down, arrested, and given a life sentence.
Bill Bean's Colfax gravesite has become a shrine honoring a man loved by many — a former high school football star turned law enforcement hero.
Now, more than two decades later, the Bean name goes on ballots in Placer County.
Brandon Bean is still inspired by his big brother.
"In death, he's given me a memory and a legacy to live up to," he said.
Election day for the Placer County Sheriff's Office is set for June 7.