Fresno officer Khammouane Thakham faces decertification over fake 911 calls

The Peace Officer Standards and Training advisory board voted to recommend decertifying Fresno Police Department officer Khammouane Kevin Thakham after reviewing evidence that he admitted making false 911 calls in 2023 to prompt contact from a former partner. The advisory board passed the motion after a Feb. 5 hearing Thakham did not attend, and the case now moves to a formal POST commission hearing set for March 4 and 5, 2026.

Fresno Police Department records and POST materials show Thakham, identified in reporting as a 32-year department veteran who had been a corporal, admitted in an Internal Affairs interview in October 2023 that he placed bogus emergency calls to disrupt the household at the woman’s address and to elicit contact from her. The department imposed internal discipline in October 2023: a 160-hour suspension, demotion from the rank of corporal and a last-chance agreement that set strict conditions for his continued employment. Thakham remains on the Fresno Police Department payroll.

POST materials presented to the advisory board, including a presentation by Bureau Chief Robert Tripp, identified the case as POST‑2316280 and said the respondent placed three anonymous calls to the Fresno communications center on Aug. 10–11, 2023 reporting an ongoing violent disturbance at the cited address. Dispatcher logs reflected a priority 0 life-threatening designation on the first night and an elevated priority on the second night, and responding officers canvassed the building and found no disturbance.

Evidence submitted to POST included body-worn camera video of officers responding to the calls. That video, as described in records, shows the woman’s son telling officers that Thakham had continued to text him and his mother and that the mother had received calls from others the family believed the officer had arranged to get her to attend a party with him. POST publicly included the fake phone calls and the response video in its case file.

At the advisory board hearing POST characterized the conduct as “dishonesty and acts that violate the law,” and presented findings it said met the clear and convincing standard. The advisory board vote was recorded by roll call: Clavo, Crawford, Dudley, Johnson and Lara voted aye; Pena voted no. With that recommendation forwarded to the commission, the next step is the March 4–5 formal hearing where commissioners will decide whether to revoke Thakham’s POST certification.

Thakham wrote a letter to the advisory board acknowledging his actions and expressing remorse. “I take full responsibility for my actions in 2023,” he wrote. “I violated department policy and state law, and I am deeply remorseful. My conduct does not reflect the standards I have upheld throughout my career.” He also cited a stressful period that included caring for an ill mother.

If the POST commission votes to decertify, the case would proceed to a hearing before an administrative law judge. Public records and reporting do not show any criminal charges filed in court tied to the false reports; dispatch logs, POST exhibits and the department’s Internal Affairs file remain key records for further review as the March hearing approaches.