Tim Casey Sr. was born in Scotia on June 29, 1953.

He lived his entire life in Hoopa, taking many adventures hitchhiking around California, Oregon and Washington.

He graduated from Hoopa High School in 1971.

After meeting his first wife Nina Mcghie in Washington State, they had two children, Tim Casey Jr. and Christopher Casey.

Tim met Marcy Westphal Hunter, his second wife, in 1985. They married in 1988. Marcy had one son, Christopher Hunter, who Tim raised as his own.

He loved his boys.

Tim had several careers in his lifetime — logger, carpenter, meat cutter at Ray’s in Hoopa. Tim finally landed his dream job during Hurricane Katrina where while working for the Natives, fire support crew. He was hired as a firefighter and engine driver in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He returned to Hoopa and was hired by the Hoopa Wildland Fire Department. After many years with Hoopa Wildland, he retired as captain in 2017.

After retirement, he felt he still needed to work and was hired by Torres Contracting in Salem, Oregon. Tim felt he had found the job he dreamed of his entire life. Tim finally had to quit firefighting due to his health.

Tim was preceded in death by his father, John Casey Sr, his mother, Cleo Rae Quinn, his stepfather Glen E.Quinn, sister, Joy Casey, brothers John Casey Jr. and Ben Casey, his sons Christopher Casey, and Timothy Casey Jr.

Tim leaves behind his wife Marcy, stepson Chris Hunter, brothers Dan Spiess and Chris Behymer, daughters-in-law Corie Casey and Angelique Ownbey, stepmother, Ethel “Tinkie” Garcia, sisters Anna Myers, Evonne Downs, and Kelly Casey. Grandchildren, Chris Hunter Jr. (CJ), Kiera Fitzpatrick Casey, Chloe Hunter, Cadence Casey, Cali Casey, Jaxon Casey, Drake Hunter, Skylar Hunter and Aliyah Hunter, nieces Natalie Casey, Amber Casey, Valerie Casey and Stephanie Goodwin, Ashley Mack, Allissa Williamson, and Katie Olsen, sister-in-law, Sandra Kagay, and brother-in-law Lloyd Douglass.

Many other family members, too numerous to name, but all very much loved and appreciated. Family bonds are strong in his family.

Tim had so many good close friends and many stories to tell. He loved hunting and fishing, traveling, but above all he loved his extended family, the community of Hoopa. He will always be remembered as “Big Guy and Big Lou.”

Tim passed from stage 4 pancreatic cancer on March 14 at home with Marcy, CJ and Chloe by his side. Tim was cremated and wanted his ashes spread along with both his sons at his favorite fishing hole, on the banks of the Trinity River in Hoopa.

Honorary Pall Bearers: Robbie Moon, Chris Hunter Jr., Loren Norton, George Moon, Harold Jones, Gary Jury, Richard Mitchell, JD Gerstner, Merwin Clark, Junior Moon, Ticmil Ashley, Brian McIntosh, Johnny Rodriques, Dayton O’Neil, Beau Goodwin, John Burr Rogers, Paul White, William Fraser, Raymond Vader, Paul Pack, Micheal Pack and Daniel Pack.

The family would like to thank everyone who came together to help make the family and Tim comfortable during his last weeks. We could not have done it without your support.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Tim Casey Sr.’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

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Attorney Andrea Sullivan.

Local attorney Anakalia “Andrea” Sullivan today accused the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of evidence tampering and using excessive force in a case involving Brandon and Jesse Widmark, half brothers whose alleged crime spree last April culminated in an officer-involved shooting on the streets of Eureka.

The Widmark brothers, who were shot and seriously injured during their showdown with law enforcement, are facing numerous felony charges including hit-and-run, child endangerment and attempted murder of a peace officer.

Sullivan, who is representing the younger Widmark brother, 19-year-old Jesse, delivered a multimedia presentation that included publicly released body camera footage from last April’s incidents alongside “raw” footage she obtained from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office during the evidence discovery process preceding a preliminary hearing in the case.

The publicly released version of the footage in question starts around the 3:45 mark of the video embedded below:

Though nearly identical, the raw footage shown by Sullivan omits the blurring effects employed by the Sheriff’s Office to obscure Jesse Widmark’s face and the bloody wound in his leg.

Sullivan argued that by obscuring Jesse Widmark’s face, the Sheriff’s Office also obscured “the fact that he was prone on the ground with his hands in the air when law enforcement approached.” 

She also highlighted the “near complete failure of the body-worn camera system,” noting that only one deputy turned his camera on during the incident, and that was by accident.

This one clip of video footage “only exists because the deputy that responded, [his] keys hit his phone and activated the body-worn camera system,” Sullivan said. “The deputies claim that my client was reaching for a weapon during this incident. Later, deputies testified that pursuant to HCSO policy and directions from the undersheriff, they were instructed not to prepare written reports.”

[ADDENDUM, March 29, 9:41 a.m.: Reached via email, Honsal provided this explanation: 

Per our standard protocol, All deputies involved in the shooting, are interrogated by the CIRT investigators from EPD and the District Attorney.   They provide complete voluntary statements in the interrogation which are transcribed and submitted into the investigation; thus a written statement is not necessary. 

The CIRT investigation prepared by EPD and The Lead DA investigator was submitted to the District Attorney, and charges were filed based upon that information submitted. ]

While displaying a pair of video still shots side by side — the left version taken from the publicly released video and the right from the raw footage — Sullivan acknowledged that it’s unclear what the deputy is pointing his gun at, whether it’s her client’s prone body on the ground or his half brother Brandon, who is not clearly visible in either version of the video — or something else altogether.

But she said, “The deputies’ claim that my client was reaching for a weapon is contradicted by the raw body-worn camera footage.”

Following the press conference, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said it’s standard practice for his office to blur faces and injuries in such publicly released videos, explaining that un-blurred footage is “not the graphic images we want out in this community.”

He also disputed the suggestion that any deputy fired at Jesse Widmark while he was on the ground with his hands up. By the time the video footage begins, Honsal said, Jesse Widmark had already been shot in the leg by Sgt. Conan Moore. Moore had approached the scene in an unmarked patrol vehicle and discharged his firearm from inside his truck after he saw that Widmarks engaged in a shootout with other deputies.

According to Honsal, the video footage comes from the body camera of Deputy Chad Crotty, who is shown holding Jesse Widmark at gunpoint while Sgt. Moore arrives and then fires multiple rounds at Brandon Widmark, who was armed with a rifle and “tucked behind the rear driver’s side tire” of the red Ford pickup truck they’d been driving.

Sullivan played the video footage during the press conference. 

As the clip rolls, Deputy Crotty’s body-worn camera pans to the right, leaving Jesse Widmark out of frame as Moore can be seen (and heard) firing a volley of gunshots in the direction of the red pickup truck. 

The Widmarks had been traveling that Ford F-250 during a high-speed chase through Eureka that ended with a violent collision in the intersection of Dolbeer and Harris streets. The crash injured three civilians in another vehicle, with one of them, a 27-year-old woman, suffering serious injuries.

Two passengers were inside the Widmarks’ F-250: a 37-year-old woman and a two-year-old child.

According to the sheriff’s office, both of the Widmarks were carrying rifles and fired at least one shot, striking a patrol vehicle. The half brothers were both shot multiple times and taken to a local hospital before being arrested when they were discharged. 

I asked Sullivan if she’s arguing that the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office blurred out certain spots of the footage to deliberately misrepresent the incidents.

She said that while she can’t speak to intent, she believes that this “material manipulation” of the footage “alters the tenor and tone of the video.”

“From the original press release video, it is not clear that Jesse Widmark clearly surrendered before law enforcement approached,” she added.

Standing outside the building afterward, Honsal disputed those allegations.

“Everything that she had to say today did not represent excessive use of force and did not represent evidence tampering whatsoever,” he said. “I think she misrepresented the facts of this case to push a narrative that she wants in this community.”

In an earlier statement emailed to the Outpost, Honsal noted that the District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against both of the Widmarks in a case that’s now headed toward a jury trial. 

“I cannot speak for the District Attorney; however, I believe [her office] would not have filed this case if they found there was unlawful force used against Jesse and Brandon Widmark,” Honsal said.

A multi-agency Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) led by the Eureka Police Department and the DA’s Office has conducted an investigation into the April 18 incidents, but Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery said the resulting report can’t be released to the public until the trial concludes.

Honsal, meanwhile, said his department’s deputies are victims in this case and also heroes.

“They stopped a crime spree that day,” he said. “And if [the Widmarks] didn’t get in that collision on Dolbeer and Harris — and I feel very bad for the community member that got struck; it was an absolute tragedy — but they were aiming right towards a hospital. They were going right towards a preschool. Who knows what would have happened if they would have stopped in front of preschool [or] if they would have ran into the hospital with two rifles?”

As for why only one officer had his body camera turned on, Honsal said that this model of camera was new at the time and deputies weren’t used to activating them. 

“In this dynamic situation, they didn’t activate them because it wasn’t muscle memory at that point in time,” he said. “We have since made sure that deputies are following up with this to make sure that they are activating their body-worn cameras on every incident where it’s required by law. It’s our policy that they do so.” 

Regarding the Widmarks incidents, Honsal said his deputies gave the them several opportunities to surrender and used “the reasonable amount of force necessary to overcome their resistance.”

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PREVIOUSLY:

• “Going Down,” April 18.
• (LIVE) Sheriff’s Office Press Conference About Yesterday’s Police Shooting on Harris Avenue
• Sheriff’s Office Issues Statement on Harris Street Incident, With Clear Photos of the Suspects and Weapons Recovered
• Eureka Police Officially Arrest One Suspect in April Assault, Police Chase That Resulted in Harris Street Shootout
• Finally Released From Hospital, Second Suspect in April Police Shootout in Eureka Arrested, Charged With Attempted Murder of Officer
• [VIDEO] Sheriff’s Office Releases Security and Body Cam Footage of April Deputy-Involved Shooting in Eureka

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On March 26, 2024, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served a search warrant to investigate illegal cannabis cultivation in the Airport Road area of Fortuna. The California Fish and Wildlife and Department of Cannabis Control assisted in the service of the warrant. 

Two parcels were investigated during the service of the warrant. The parcels did not possess the required county permit and state license to cultivate cannabis commercially.

During the service of the warrant, deputies eradicated approximately 2307 growing cannabis plants. Deputies seized and destroyed over 20 pounds of cannabis bud. Deputies also located and seized One AR-15 rifle with attached suppressor and an un-serialized Glock handgun.

Additional violations with civil fines are expected to be filed by the assisting agencies.

Corey Lee Ivy, 45 of Fortuna, was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges: HS 11358(c)- Cultivation of Commercial Cannabis, HS 11359- Possession for sale of cannabis, PC 591- Theft of utilities, PC 33410- Possession of a suppressor.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity 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.

Corey Lee Ivy / Booking Photo Humboldt County Correctional Facility

Say you work at a fast food restaurant or coffee shop that bears the name of a national chain. Under California law, you’re entitled to be paid at least $20 an hour starting Monday.

Say you work at one of those stores, inside a grocery store. The grocery store, your employer, is exempt under the law. You’ll keep getting your current wages.

But say you assemble burgers, scoop ice cream or prepare Frappuccinos at one of those stores, and it’s inside another store, but the bigger store isn’t a “grocery” because less than half of its revenues are made off groceries. What then?

According to the state of California, the store should be paying you at least $20 an hour, but only for the hours you work in the fast food portion of the store. If you spend part of your shift checking out customers or stocking the shelves in the rest of the store, you’re only entitled to the regular minimum wage of $16 for those hours.

That’s according to an 18-item FAQ the Department of Industrial Relations published in March as California businesses prepare for the fast food minimum wage to kick in on Monday.

It’s not the only situation that is confusing employers and workers alike.

To raise wages for fast food workers, the Service Employees International Union struck a deal last year with the International Franchise Association and California Restaurant Association that included owners of fast food chain locations but exempted those who operate independent restaurants.

The law covers all fast food restaurants that belong to chains with 60 or more locations nationally, roping in the unions’ targets: McDonald’s or Burger King and their franchise owners. More than 500,000 Californians — primarily women, immigrants and people of color — work in what’s known in the industry as “limited service restaurants.” Earlier this year SEIU estimated the law will apply to roughly 3,000 employers.

“The vast majority of fast-food locations in California operate under the most profitable brands in the world,” Joseph Bryant, SEIU’s executive vice president and a member of a new statewide fast food regulatory council, said in a statement today. “Those corporations need to pay their fair share and provide their operators with the resources they need to pay their workers a living wage without cutting jobs or passing the cost to consumers.”

But outside those national chains are numerous other food sellers and business arrangements, not all of which are directly addressed in the new law. Grocery stores and some bakeries are exempt, and this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a carve-out for fast food places at airports, convention centers and hotels.

According to emails obtained by CalMatters in response to a public records request, a range of employers have been trying to figure out if they must pay $20 ever since the law was signed late last September.

In October, the Department of Industrial Relations received two inquiries from franchise owners asking whether they must comply with the law. One employer owned an Auntie Anne’s and a Cinnabon and believed selling pretzels and cinnamon rolls qualified them for the controversial bakery exemption. The other owned an ice cream parlor.

“This clarification is imperative as to whether or not we will be financially able to open more locations at the proposed wage increase to $20 an hour,” the ice cream store owner wrote.

Both were forwarded to the department with a request for legal guidance by a staffer for Assemblymember Chris Holden, the law’s author. In recent weeks, Holden has been unable to answer reporters’ questions about why certain exemptions — such a carveout for some bakeries — were included in the law. The department redacted responses to those emails under a public records exemption for attorney-client communications.

By December, employers were lawyering up.

Attorneys for the Honey Baked Ham chain asked whether it would qualify. They described the stores as “retail meat stores” where customers primarily buy cooked hams and other “bulk proteins” and sides to eat at home, but acknowledged they also sell sandwiches that customers can eat at the restaurants or take to-go.

Attorneys also sought clarification over whether their clients would have to pay $20 if they own a chain of Papa Murphy’s “take and bake” pizza shops.

In late December, attorneys for an unnamed retail chain asked the department whether they would have to pay $20 in the fast food restaurants or cafes that are inside some of its stores. The attorneys noted the company’s stores sometimes sell groceries, but not primarily, and employees who work the fast food counters are often also assigned to other parts of the store.

Department attorney Ehud Appel said it did not respond to individual inquiries, instead answering to the companies with the FAQ this month.

In the FAQ, the state said: businesses are not exempt for selling ice cream, even though a national industry classification system excludes some ice cream shops from the definition of fast food, or “limited service” restaurants. To count as a bakery, the state said, the bread sold must weigh at least half a pound. And workers at a “store within a store” must be paid $20 for the hours they work in the restaurant portions of the stores.

The answers apparently created new questions.

The FAQ stated fast food managers can only be exempt from California’s overtime pay laws if they make more than twice the minimum wage — a threshold that is now higher for fast food employees. But attorneys for the retailer wrote in another letter to the department in mid-March that the stores’ managers only manage the fast food counters part time.

It’s unclear how the state will handle the confusion going forward.

Its FAQ directs workers who believe they’re wrongly being denied $20 an hour to file a wage theft claim with the Labor Commissioner’s Office — a process that is so backlogged amid a staffing crisis for the office that complaints can take years to resolve. The department did not immediately respond today when asked for further clarification.

The new fast food council may also take up the concerns, or they could end up in the courts to decide.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

On March 27, 2024 at approximately 1241 hours, CHP Humboldt Communications Center received a report of an overturned vehicle on Northbound US-101, near the Humboldt Hill Road offramp. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and located a 1998 Nissan Pathfinder had overturned and subsequently come to rest on its wheels. The driver, 79-year-old Dennis Katri of Eureka, had unfortunately sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash and appears to have been the only occupant of the vehicle at the time of the crash. A preliminary investigation indicates that, for unknown reasons, Mr. Katri allowed the Pathfinder to travel into the center median prior to traveling back on to the road and overturning. Impairment is not considered to have been a factor.

The California Highway Patrol extends its sincere condolences to the family and thanks all responding agencies for their assistance in managing the scene. The CHP Humboldt Area office is continuing its investigation and asks anyone who may have additional information to contact the California Highway Patrol at 707-822-5981.

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

Late in the evening of March 27th at approximately 11:50 pm, Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a structure fire in an apartment building on the 400 block of L St. in Eureka. Three engines, one truck, two Chief Officers, and one Fire Support Volunteer responded.

The Battalion Chief arrived to find heavy fire coming from a window on the second floor of a 3-story apartment with multiple occupants still inside the building. A second alarm and second ambulance were requested, drawing two more engines to the scene and for station coverage. The first-arriving engine immediately located a victim in a 2nd floor window who was trapped in his apartment. The victim was quickly rescued through the window utilizing a ground ladder. Additional crews knocked down the fire in the fire apartment window from the exterior and made entry, locating three additional victims who were sheltering in place inside their apartments on the second floor. Firefighters assisted the three residents out of the building rescues and cleared the floor of any remaining occupants. The residents did suffer some smoke inhalation but reported no injuries and refused treatment.

The fire was controlled within 20 minutes with crews containing the fire to the original apartment. Quick actions by arriving crews prevented the fire from spreading to additional apartments, rescue the trapped victims, and ensure all occupants were safely out of the building and accounted for. Incident Commanders worked with the property owner and PG&E to isolate and restore utilities back to the building.

There were no firefighter or civilian injuries. Unfortunately, one pet was found deceased Smoke Alarms Save Lives. inside the fire apartment and another pet is still missing. 12 apartments were deemed uninhabitable due to fire, smoke and water damage, displacing approximately 20 tenants. Red Cross was brought in to provide the tenants with temporary housing and living needs. Damage to the building, valued at $5 million, is estimated at approximately $500,000. After investigation, the fire was determined to be caused by improper discarding of burnt aroma materials.

Humboldt Bay Fire reminds all occupants to soak any aroma materials, such as incense sticks, in water before discarding them and ensure you have working smoke alarms in all bedrooms and hallways. Early detection can save lives.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank City Ambulance, Eureka PD, Red Cross, Arcata Fire and Samoa Fire for their assistance on this incident, and in providing station coverage.

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It is with profound sadness and a shattered heart that we announce the passing of loving wife, mother, friend, and soulmate Erin Diana Jarvis-Nessier. Our princess passed on January 2, 2024, peacefully cradled within the arms of her husband, may God rest her soul. Her son, Beau, was also present, outside amongst her beloved forest.

Erin wore many earthly hats, but even on the darkest of days she never lost her resounding faith. Like the warrior she was, Erin fought her own battles with the same tenacity and personal drive she exhibited in every other area of her life, encompassed with immeasurable love and strength.

Erin was born in Redwood City, California, to parents Elwood and Sylvia Jarvis, on April 23, 1960. After graduating college, she succeeded in a plethora of professions. From full charge bookkeeper and office manager, to certified advanced veterinary technician and surgical assistant- she even spent time training police K-9s for several Bay Area and state law enforcement agencies. Erin was raised under the wing of her brother, Kevin Jarvis, who painstakingly took the time to teach her how to play a guitar. Erin was a wonderful musician, also blessed with a beautiful voice.

Up until being diagnosed with inoperable terminal cancer, Erin energetically swam several miles per day in an open water facility for her own enjoyment. She also rode her beautiful horse Rio, always trailed by her loving doggies Manley and Zipper. Nobody can sit a horse quite like Erin Jarvis. Nobody. She had a genuine love for all animals, especially rescues such as her beloved canines.

Erin will be remembered far into the future as the sole custodian of her forest. Her forest companions were her German Shepherds, Great Pyrenees, and the two ravens whom she had mastered the ability to communicate with. Erin was an avid nature enthusiast, as all those who knew her can attest. Erin brought with her a piercing light of love and warmth for all to share within. She had envisioned opening up her forest to kids of all ages, wanting to create an environment in which to teach the mysteries of coastal forests and the survival skills she had mastered.

Our princess’s difficult six-year battle with cancer and the staggering physical and mental challenge of her diagnoses with breast, spinal, and liver cancer is now through. Erin is now forever home with our Heavenly Father. Throughout this upsetting period of constant pain, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, it was still not uncommon to find Erin wandering the trails throughout her forest, marking damaged trees for removal or treatment.

Erin was at home on her John Deere 6320, just as capable on the machine as she was at being the prettiest girl at the symphony. Being a country girl was a way of life for Erin. She was also a champion for those in need, carrying a special place in her heart for those going without. She knew how to make people laugh at themselves, even total strangers. Erin’s life reflected everything that was good, right, and true. Our little Irish Girl time and time again advocated for her little family, as they weathered many unforeseen challenges, disappointments, and times of sadness. She just as openly embraced the victories, giving each of her loved ones undivided attention without hesitation. Erin’s devotion was unconditional.

So dearly missed will be her many nicknames for her husband, Robert. But the memories of these names (Handsome Head, Weedhopper, Pokémon), still warm our hearts. Erin was Robert’s greatest joy, strength, his greatest blessing in life — taken too soon. Erin’s last words, delivered to her husband, were, “I love you so much.”

In this time of immense grief and sorrow, we are so grateful for the outpouring of love from friends, family, and everyone else in the community that has reached out and offered their support. Erin gave us all many cherished memories, a gift that will endure long after she has left this world. Erin firmly believed that we live in a compromised world. But she also believed the world was a place of profound beauty, wonder, adventure, and true compassion. Above all else, Erin carried an unwavering belief in the written word and promises of our Heavenly Father. Our lives will never ever be the same without Erin Diana Jarvis-Nessier.

Erin is survived by her Handsome-Head husband Robert, her loving son Beau Jarvis, brother Kevin Jarvis, and many nieces, nephews, and good friends.

Our family would like to express our deep thanks to the following persons and institutions for caring so deeply for our Little Irish Princess. A gracious heartfelt thanks to the Hospice of Humboldt, Dr. Connie Basch, Dr. Dosten MacDonald, Sandy and Barb from the oncology suite, Laurie Ervin and Ray, Rob and Sheri Gurney, Dr. Tony Anagnoston, Dr. Abdali and Dr Crabtreee, Dr. Elie Richa, Dr Howard Fellows, Dincy Corning, Keith Wininger of Wininger Farms, Travis Harmon, Josh and Leath Maveety, Mike Osborne, Dr. Marshall of UCSF Oncology, Andrew Livolsis, Pastor Dennis Murray, Jim and Ida Lowe, and Katie and Miriam Wheeler. We know there are many, many to thank for custodianship of Erin during this journey not listed. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

An outdoor celebration of life planned, regardless of weather, for April 20, 2024, noonish to lights out. The celebration may include spreading of ashes, light trail work, and the planting of redwoods, accompanied by love, fellowship, and good vibes. A favorite dish or beverage is welcome. You can contact Robert via email at opuskahn49@gmail.com. Ayers Family Cremations is handling all funeral arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sequoia Humane Society or another charity of your choosing will honor Erin’s memory. God Bless you all.

“We Shall Pass this way on Earth but once. If there is any kindness we can show, or good art we can do, let us do it now, for we will never pass this way again.” -Stephen Greer

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Erin Jarvis’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.