Photos of the scene: Andrew Goff.

From the Eureka Police Department:

Bickerstaff.

Earl.

On 05/09/17, at about 4:45 PM, Eureka Police Department officers were dispatched to the vicinity of the C Street Market Square (1st/C Streets, Eureka) on the report of a fight with weapons after a caller reported a male subject was swinging a bat at a female.

The first officer arrived on scene a short time later and saw the male angrily brandishing what appeared to be a large club-like object at an adult female who also appeared agitated. The officer ordered the male, Brian Christopher Bickerstaff (age 41, transient), to drop the weapon and get on the ground.

Bickerstaff reluctantly complied but pointed toward a nearby heavily tattooed, adult male who he claimed was in possession of a handgun.

The officer ordered the second male to lie face down on the ground. The male complied. Meanwhile, the female with whom Bickerstaff had been in an altercation, continued yelling threats and profanities at him further escalating the volatile situation. The female, later identified as Jade Felecia Earl (age 32, transient), ignored repeated directions from the officer to stop and stay away from Bickerstaff.

As other officers arrived to assist, Bickerstaff and the second male were detained in handcuffs. When another officer told the still very agitated Earl to move further away from Bickerstaff and have a seat on a nearby bench, she again refused to comply.

The officer then attempted to detain Earl in handcuffs but she physically resisted and a struggle ensued. With the assistance of other officers, Earl was handcuffed and taken into custody on a myriad of charges.

Upon further investigation, Bickerstaff was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for multiple offenses including brandishing a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a concealed dirk or dagger (two fixed-blade knives were located in his pockets), and probation violation.

After being medically cleared at a local hospital as a precaution, Earl was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for resisting an officer by force or violence (felony), assault on a peace officer, unlawful possession of a concealed dirk or dagger (a fixed blade knife was located in one of her pockets), possession of methamphetamine, possession of suspected heroin, possession of drug use paraphernalia (meth pipe), being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs in public, and probation violation.

No firearms were located at the scene and the second male, who was on active parole and in a relationship with Earl, was detained and released at the scene.