The Eureka City Council will meet in closed session Tuesday to discuss how to proceed in the wake of Police Chief Steve Watson’s announced retirement and a case of anticipated litigation. Watson announced Wednesday he would be stepping down from the position he’s held for four years at the end of November. With the department […]
Steve Watson
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EPD Texting Investigation Nears Conclusion
Nearly six months after it began, an outside investigation into misogynistic, dehumanizing, vulgar and violent text messages shared between a unit of Eureka Police Department officers appears to be nearing its conclusion. “All interviews have been completed and they are in the process of compiling all that information into a report,” Eureka Police Chief Steve […]
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Eureka Man Arrested for Alleged White Supremacist Graffiti
Police arrested a 32-year-old man this morning for allegedly vandalizing the Eureka Skate Park with gang-related graffiti that included white supremacist and white power symbols. Shawn Anthony Miller, of Eureka, reportedly confessed to an officer on scene shortly after 1:15 a.m. that he’d committed the vandalism and was booked into the Humboldt County jail on […]
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Lawsuit Alleges Eureka Police Used Excessive Force During George Floyd Protest
A local woman has filed a federal lawsuit against the county of Humboldt and the city of Eureka, alleging police officers violated her constitutional rights when they shot her with less-than-lethal projectiles as she peacefully marched while protesting the May 25, 2020, murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. In the suit filed […]
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EPD Captain On Leave Amid Investigation
One of the Eureka Police Department’s two captains has been placed on paid administrative leave. EPD Chief Steve Watson confirmed to the Journal that Capt. Patrick O’Neill is on leave, but declined to discuss why or in relation to what matter, saying he’s legally prohibited from doing so. “The penal code and evidence code prohibit […]
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Protestors Call for Firing of EPD Officers Involved in Reported Text Message Scandal
About 50 people turned out yesterday to a protest in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse calling on the Eureka Police Department to fire the officers who reportedly sent misogynistic and violent text messages that were leaked to the Sacramento Bee. EPD Chief Steve Watson has placed two of the six officers involved in the […]
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Eureka Mayor ‘Angry’ About Alleged EPD Text Messages
Eureka Mayor Susan Seaman issued a statement this afternoon saying the text messages allegedly sent between Eureka Police Department officers that were released in a bombshell report from the Sacramento Bee earlier this week “are wholly unbecoming of any professional, or any decent human being for that matter.” “Public trust is hard to earn and […]
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Eureka Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Mass Shooting
Police arrested a 49-year-old Eureka man shortly after midnight this morning after he allegedly told a Weaverville restaurant employee he had plans to commit a mass shooting at a Eureka government building after the employee asked him to wear a mask. Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson said the man, identified as Darin Michael Ward, told […]
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UPDATED: Eureka City Council to Consider Camping Ban
The Eureka City Council will revisit the issue of camping within city limits tomorrow night as it considers Bill No. 989-C.S. – Camping Ordinance, a repeal and replacement of its current ordinance banning camping in public spaces. The adjustment appears to be in response to the 2019 Ninth Circuit Court case Martin vs. City of Boise, […]
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EPD Preliminary Investigation: Protester Possibly at Fault in Last Night’s Collision
The Eureka Police Department has opened an investigation into an incident during last night’s Breonna Taylor protest in which a protester was hit by a truck and suffered non life-threatening injury to her foot. “Preliminary findings indicate that the pedestrian may have placed herself in the path of the vehicle at the time of the […]
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EPD Officers Complete More De-escalation Training
The Eureka Police Department announced that it held its fourth in a series of de-escalation and tactical communications courses today, with 19 officers participating. The 10-hour training was offered by “senior” EPD officers who attended a “nationally recognized train-the-trainer course” last year, according to a press release. The training is modeled after the nonprofit Police […]
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UPDATE: Eureka May Lose Four Police Officers, Zoo Director, Due to Budget Cuts
UPDATE (6:37 p.m.) After trouble-shooting myriad technical difficulties with the City’s Zoom feed and audio, the Eureka City Council directed staff to proceed with work on the draft budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Another public hearing will be held July 7. Mayor Susan Seaman encouraged members of the public to give feedback and public […]