Church.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Jan. 29, 2021, at about 9 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received a request for a welfare check on a juvenile male who was reportedly being held by his father in violation of a custody order at a residence on the 1800 block of Buhne Drive in King Salmon.

The father, identified as Daniel Ray Church, age 46, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest on domestic violence-related charges resulting from a Eureka Police Department investigation. Deputies responded to the residence associated with Church, but were unable to locate Church or the juvenile on scene.

At approximately 2:45 p.m., deputies received information that Church had returned to the residence. Deputies attempted to contact Church, but he declined to follow deputy requests and barricaded himself inside the residence with the juvenile.

Due to the possibility that Church could have access to firearms, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s SWAT Team was requested to respond, in addition to the Crisis Negotiation Team. After approximately four hours of attempting to negotiate with Church for a peaceful surrender, SWAT officers made entry into the residence. The juvenile was located unharmed and was placed into safe custody. Church was arrested on his warrant without further incident.

Church was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on his warrant charges for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse (PC 273.5(a)), stalking (PC 646.9(a)), kidnapping (PC 207(a)) and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm (PC 245(a)(1)).

This case is still under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.