A San Francisco sheriff’s deputy who admitted to lying to federal agents in the long-running Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow probe is now staring down the possibility of losing his law-enforcement certification. Yesterday, the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training voted unanimously to authorize a full decertification hearing for Sgt. Michael Kim, following his controversial rehire last year, after Sheriff Paul Miyamoto personally vouched for him.
The commission’s 15–0 vote to authorize a decertification hearing came at a West Sacramento meeting, according to NBC Bay Area. Kim addressed the board and told members that “My attorney and I – we thought at the time, that I would not be able to come back with this charge,” the outlet reported.
Kim first drew scrutiny after FBI agents questioned him in 2014 about his ties to an associate of Chow; he later admitted to lying to investigators and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor contempt of court, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He resigned from the Sheriff’s Office in 2016, was fined and placed on probation, and then sought to rejoin the department once his probation ended. The San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting and documents released to POST show Kim was rehired in December 2024 despite two psychologists initially finding him “not suitable.”
Public records include an undated letter from Sheriff Miyamoto that appears to have persuaded one psychologist to change that finding; the letter is included in documents released by POST (Miyamoto letter). A state consultant’s review flagged “potential hiring irregularities” and warned that “(Kim) cannot be effective as a peace officer because he is not honest,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Those findings helped prompt POST investigators to seek a formal fact-finding process.
What Happens Next
A fact-finding hearing is the next step; if investigators recommend decertification, the full POST Commission could hold a final administrative hearing and vote to revoke Kim’s certificate, a sanction that would bar him from serving as a peace officer in California, according to POST. The process includes opportunities for testimony and legal representation and can take weeks to months to complete, depending on the evidence and scheduling. If the commission moves to decertify, the decision would be published and entered into national tracking databases used by agencies during the hiring process.
The Sheriff’s Office told reporters it considered it “premature” to comment on the commission’s action because procedural steps remain, NBC Bay Area reported, and the department previously defended its rehiring process as following standard procedures. Miyamoto’s letter and the ensuing internal debate have put the department’s background checks and hiring practices under scrutiny from advocates and state investigators alike.
Legal Implications
The authority for this action stems from the Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021 (SB 2), which established a statewide system for revoking peace officer certificates for serious misconduct and created the advisory board that reviews cases, according to the governor’s office. Under that law, POST can retroactively review certain categories of misconduct and remove an officer’s certification, effectively ending their ability to work as a sworn peace officer in California.
No public date has been set yet for the fact-finding hearing, and POST’s next steps will determine whether a full decertification hearing is scheduled. We’ll update this story as official notices and hearing dates are posted by POST and the advisory board.
