Brandon (left) and Jesse Widmark.

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PREVIOUSLY:

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Press release from the District Attorney’s Office:

Today, the Honorable Judge Steven Steward sentenced brothers Brandon Michael Widmark, age 29, and Jesse ChakChak Widmark, age 20, to serve life in prison for their April 2023 crimes in Eureka. On March 18, 2025, following a 7-week trial, a Humboldt County jury returned verdicts of guilt as to each of the defendants for the attempted murder of a peace officer, multiple counts of assault with a firearm on a peace officer, forcefully resisting a peace officer, and robbery. Additionally, Brandon was convicted of felony hit and run causing injury, evading an officer and causing injury, child abuse, false imprisonment, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Steward sentenced Brandon to serve 39 years 8 months to life in prison, and Jesse to serve 56 years 4 months to life in prison.

On April 18, 2023, the brothers robbed a man in a back parking lot of the Bayshore Mall in Eureka and fled the scene in a lifted red Ford truck with Arizona license plates. Brandon, who drove the truck with his brother in the rear passenger seat, girlfriend in the front passenger seat, and her toddler in the rear center seat, struck a pedestrian at the intersection of Washington and Summer Streets. He fled, leaving the seriously injured pedestrian in the street. Reports of these crimes were made, providing police officers with initial details regarding the crimes and suspects in the red truck.

Shortly thereafter, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy Raleigh Willoughby observed the red truck and attempted a traffic stop. The truck fled from Dep. Willoughby through the Cutten area, northbound on Dolbeer Street toward Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital, and past the Washington Elementary School at a high rate of speed. Deputy Willoughby did not pursue at a high speed out due to public safety concerns, including it was nearly time for school dismissal. Nonetheless, Brandon continued to drive recklessly, all the while refusing pleas from his girlfriend to pull over and let her and her child out of the vehicle. At the intersection of Dolbeer and Harris Streets, Brandon collided into a vehicle causing serious injury to the people inside the vehicle.

The defendants got out the of the now-disabled truck, and armed themselves with rifles, aiming at the pursuing Dep. Willoughby in his marked patrol vehicle. Jesse fired one shot at Dep. Willoughby, missing his head by less than two feet, but striking his patrol vehicle. As this happened, both were fired upon by arriving HCSO Lt. Conan Moore, Dep. Chad Crotty, and Dep. Luke Mathieson; each defendant was shot seven times.

Although Brandon was shot before he was able to fire a round, he continued to manipulate his firearm in a manner consistent with trying to clear a malfunction or to load a round into the chamber. Brandon refused commands to drop his weapon and was subsequently fired upon by Lt. Moore that ultimately resulted in Brandon dropping his rifle.

Immediately after eliminating the threat, Dep. Willoughby, Lt. Moore, Dep. Crotty, and Dep. Mathieson began administering life-saving efforts to the brothers. The defendants were transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital where they remained until they were medically able to be housed at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility.

District Attorney Stacey Eads stated “I am extremely grateful for the heroic actions of the officers involved. The thoughtful verdicts of the jury and Judge Steward’s sentencing imposed are just, and with this outcome may these two defendants never harm another again.”

Due to the nature of the officer involved shooting, the Critical Incident Response Team, led by Eureka Police Detective Ray Nunez and Humboldt County District Attorney Investigator Ryan Hill, was deployed to take command of the scene and the investigation. Their efforts, along with the efforts of the four Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office personnel, led to the successful prosecution of this case, the jury’s verdicts, and ultimately the appropriate sentence for both defendants.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District attorney Roger Rees, with assistance from District Attorney Investigators Ryan Hill and Greg Hill, Victim Advocate Ben Duhem, as well as countless others. Brandon was represented by attorney Rebecca Linkous, and Jesse was represented by attorney Anakalia Sullivan.