Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release: 

On Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at approximately 6:15 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a female victim stating her elderly husband was threatening to kill her. Deputies responded to the residence on Sunshine Way in the Humboldt Hill area of Eureka and met with the victim and contacted the husband through a bedroom door. The deputy became concerned that the subject may be armed with a firearm.

The deputy retreated outside the residence and called for additional resources. Additional deputies responded and established a perimeter around the residence. Deputies confirmed no one else was inside and began trying to communicate with the subject to negotiate a surrender. Without warning, the wheel-chair bound subject emerged on the porch of the residence holding a firearm. Deputies continued trying to negotiate with the subject for several minutes, despite the fact that the subject alternated between pointing the gun at them and himself. The subject told deputies he had no intention of surrendering, and they would have to kill him.

Deputies on scene called for additional resources, which included the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, the Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT), the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), medical personnel, and mental health. The California Highway Patrol (CHP), and Eureka Police Department (EPD) also sent officers to assist. CNT negotiated with the gun wielding subject for some time until he made some suicidal statements and abruptly hung up the phone. Moments later, personnel on scene heard a muffled gunshot from within the residence.

SWAT personnel eventually breached open the front doors to introduce the remote controlled robot for further search and communication capabilities. Upon breaching the second door, SWAT personnel discovered the subject in the living room with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Medical personnel were called in, and the subject was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The residence was secured, and no other parties were injured during this incident.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.