Eureka Police Department press release: 

On October 21st, 2013 around 8:30 PM, a Eureka Police Department officer on uniformed patrol saw a male subject walking in the vicinity of 6th and ‘E’ Streets, Eureka.  The officer noted the subject resembled a felony warrant suspect about whom he’d recently received information.  The officer stopped his patrol car and got out to speak with the subject in order to confirm his identity.

The subject, subsequently identified as Von Eric Keener, was uncooperative and walked away from the officer.  When asked for his name, he provided a false one to the officer as he continued to walk away.  As the officer repeated his directions for Keener to stop, Keener (6’ 3”and 250 pounds) became increasingly belligerent and hostile.  A second officer soon arrived to assist.

As both officers moved closer to Keener in order to detain him, Keener suddenly put his right hand into the front pocket of his sweatshirt.  Fearing he might be accessing a weapon, the officers grasped his arms and took him to the ground.  Keener resisted their efforts to handcuff him but after a short struggle he was taken into custody. 

A local records check confirmed Keener had multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest alleging parole violation (felony), possession of a controlled substance and false identification to a peace officer (misdemeanor). 

During a search of the backpack Keener was wearing, officers located a loaded, double barrel 12-gauge shotgun.  The stock and barrels of the shotgun had been sawn off to greatly shorten its overall length enabling it to be carried concealed. 

Keener (age 39) was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on his warrants and on fresh charges for possession of a short barreled firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (both felony offenses).