12-02-2025
Judge resentences gang member who killed Oceanside Police officer
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A gang member who shot and killed an Oceanside Police officer in 2006 was back in court Monday for resentencing due to a recent change in state law affecting juveniles convicted as adults.
Steve Bessant, the father of slain Officer Dan Bessant, spoke in court about the deep pain his family continues to endure.
'Our family's loss remains,' he said. 'We've been given life without parole with no possibility of a resentence.'
Officer Bessant was gunned down on Dec. 20, 2006, during a traffic stop. His son, who was only two months old at the time, has only known his father through photos and family stories.
Man who killed Oceanside police officer up for resentencing
Oceanside Police Chief Taurino Valdovinos, who was Officer Bessant's partner at the time, said the loss is still felt throughout the department and the community.
'His death has resonated across all levels of our organization and within the community, leaving a void that can never be filled,' Valdovinos said.
Prosecutors said Meki Gaono was just months away from turning 18 when he used a rifle to kill Officer Bessant because he believed police were disrespecting his gang. In 2009, Gaono was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus an additional 61 years.
However, changes in state law sent his case back to juvenile court, which only handles offenders up to age of 25. That could have resulted in Gaono being released under two years of probation. Instead, a San Diego judge ruled that the now 35-year-old had to remain in adult court and be resentenced, possibly giving him a chance at early parole.
Annual Dan Bessant Run honors slain Oceanside police officer
Gaono's public defender argued that he had been rehabilitated through prison programs. The judge, after considering his young age at the time of the crime and his rehabilitation efforts, ultimately sentenced him to life without parole plus 51 years.
Steve Bessant said the ruling reaffirms the support police officers need.
'When a police officer checks in and gets in their car and goes out for their shift, they need the reassurance that the community backs them and that the legal system backs them too. We saw that today,' he said.
Despite the life sentence without parole, California Senate Bill 394, passed in 2018, allows any juvenile convicted as an adult to be eligible for parole after serving 25 years. This means Gaono could go before a parole board in eight years.
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