Press release from the Sequoia Humane Society:

Sequoia Humane Society remains focused and steadfast on our mission to provide humane care, responsible placement, and pathways to safe and loving homes for homeless animals within our community.

As a small independent nonprofit shelter originally established more than 50 years ago in a former California Highway Patrol building, our facility was designed to humanely house approximately 25 to 30 dogs under 30 pounds, six kennels for dogs over 30 pounds, and communal cattery space for adult cats and 8 litters of kittens in our nursery. These capacity limitations have a direct impact on how we responsibly manage humane care standards, medical oversight, staffing resources, and animal welfare.

Sequoia Humane Society is an independent nonprofit organization, governed with oversight from a volunteer board of directors, and does not operate under a mandatory county animal control contract requiring unlimited intake capacity. Our priority has always been to serve local animals in need through adoption, foster placement, and humane sheltering.

When space allows, we collaborate with trusted shelter and rescue partners throughout California and parts of the Pacific Northwest to help relieve overcrowding and create additional pathways to adoption for animals at risk. All transfer partners must align with Sequoia Humane Society’s mission, humane care standards, operational capabilities, and compliance practices prior to any approved transfer relationship.

Sequoia Humane Society does not currently maintain and has not maintained an active transfer partnership or ongoing transfer relationship with Miranda’s Rescue.

We maintain detailed records for all animals accepted into our care, including local surrenders, foster placements, adoptions, and approved shelter transfers. Transfer agreements include transfer of ownership, medical records, behavioral information, and microchip documentation.

The majority of animals placed through Sequoia Humane Society are adopted directly onsite at our shelter facility, with some approved placements occurring through community mobile adoption events. Every adoption is documented within our shelter management system, a platform commonly used throughout the animal welfare community, and includes adoption agreements, vaccination records, medical history, and microchip documentation. All animals adopted through Sequoia Humane Society are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and provided rabies vaccinations in accordance with California law prior to adoption unless medically exempt under veterinary guidance.

Our 2025 and 2026 records reflect documented adoption outcomes across both dogs and cats, demonstrating our continued commitment to responsible placement and humane care. One of our most successful programs is Foster to Adopt, which allows families and animals time to adjust prior to final adoption. If an executed adoption agreement is not the right fit, animals may safely return to our care and be placed again into appropriate homes. Placement records are maintained long term because animals may return to our shelter at any point during their lifetime.

While we value transparency and regularly celebrate adoption and foster success stories publicly when permitted, we also have a responsibility to protect the privacy and trust of adopters, foster families, and surrendered animal owners. Personal identifying information and adopter details remain confidential and are not publicly disclosed. However, outcomes and placement records are maintained internally and may be reviewed through appropriate legal, regulatory, or organizational processes when required.

Like many communities throughout California, Humboldt County continues to experience challenges related to homeless animals, particularly larger breed dogs that often require additional placement resources and behavioral support. Because our facility was not designed to house large numbers of large breed dogs, our intake capacity for those animals remains limited. When space is available, we continue collaborating with local municipalities, shelters, rescues, and transfer partners to help where responsibly possible.

As a nonprofit organization, Sequoia Humane Society relies heavily on community donations and local adoption support to sustain humane animal care. The actual cost of caring for animals often exceeds adoption fees or any medical cost-sharing assistance associated with vaccinations, spay and neuter services, behavioral support, food, housing, staffing, and ongoing care. Community support has a direct impact on our ability to provide the care animals need.

Any discussions regarding cost assistance are intended only to help offset a portion of required medical and humane animal care expenses associated with California compliance standards and responsible sheltering practices. These discussions support humane care and medical treatment and are never intended to generate profit.

Currently, Sequoia Humane Society has not charged transfer fees to or from approved transfer partners.

Serving homeless and at-risk animals throughout Humboldt County remains our priority, and we remain committed to working alongside community partners to help address local animal welfare needs while operating within humane care and facility capacity standards.

Adoption outcomes have significantly increased compared to the previous year thanks to the incredible support of the Humboldt County community, including fosters, volunteers, adopters, and donors who continue opening their homes and hearts to animals in need.

We understand the concern many community members have regarding ongoing animal welfare investigations within California. While Sequoia Humane Society is not involved in those investigations and cannot comment on allegations, we support transparency, accountability, and humane standards of care within the animal welfare community.

We also recognize that the long-term solution for Humboldt County’s growing animal welfare needs requires expanded infrastructure, regional collaboration, and sustainable community investment. Sequoia Humane Society has been actively working over the last several years toward future facility expansion planning that would allow us to humanely increase intake capacity, particularly for larger breed dogs and animals requiring specialized placement support.

With building design, planning, and permitting efforts already underway, Sequoia Humane Society is positioned to break ground on a future expanded facility once funding goals are achieved. The future facility is designed to better serve the evolving needs of our community and the animals who depend on us.

Future expansion plans include expanded medical and wellness services, as well as a humane education and training center designed to strengthen animal welfare engagement within our community and improve access to humane care resources throughout our region, keeping animals safe within our community.

We would also like to recognize and sincerely thank the veterinary professionals, veterinary partners, shelter partners, rescue organizations, municipalities, fosters, volunteers, and animal welfare advocates who continue supporting humane care efforts throughout our region and the state. Their collaboration, trust, medical support, shared resources, and commitment to animal welfare help create lifesaving opportunities for animals both locally and throughout the broader animal welfare community.

Sequoia Humane Society remains grateful for the trusted partnerships and collaborative relationships that support our shared mission of protecting animals and improving animal welfare outcomes for the communities we collectively serve.

We invite donors, community partners, businesses, foundations, and supporters to help us Build a Humane Future for Generations through expanded sheltering capacity, humane education, medical and wellness services, and lifesaving programs for local animals in our community.

To donate or learn more about supporting Sequoia Humane Society’s future growth and community impact, please contact Executive Director Angela Duncan at (707) 442-1782 or emailExecutive@sequoiahumane.org.

For additional information regarding Sequoia Humane Society’s programs, operations, adoptions, foster opportunities, or community partnerships, please contact:

Angela Duncan
Executive Director
Sequoia Humane Society
Eureka, California
(707) 442-1782

To adopt an animal, donate, volunteer, foster, or learn more about our mission to help homeless animals at risk, please visit: www.sequoiahumane.org

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Sequoia Humane Society’s mission is to be a community leader in promoting the humane treatment of all animals and ending pet overpopulation by providing a high standard of care through programs such as pet adoption, spay and neuter services, foster care, and community education.

Sequoia Humane Society is a charitable nonprofit organization operating under IRS Section 501(c)(3). Our ability to provide humane care, medical treatment, sheltering, foster support, and adoption services depends greatly on the support, trust, volunteerism, and generosity of our community.

Press release from the Humboldt Trails Council:

The 2026 Humboldt Trails Summit Saturday, May 30th, is being expanded this year to not only include a kick-off event at the Sequoia Conference Center (901 Myrtle Avenue, Eureka), but also an afternoon of guided field trips, some providing a sneak peek of new trails on the horizon. The event begins at the conference center at 10:00 a.m. with a trail partners fair, where attendees can connect with trail supporting organizations. At 11:00 a.m. brief presentations from Hank Seemann, Deputy Director, Environmental Services, County of Humboldt, and Elaine Hogan, Executive Director, Great Redwood Trail Agency will highlight the exciting progress that is being made in developing our trails including those under construction, in the planning phase, and the new trails you can visit today. The trail fair tabling will continue until 1:00 p.m.

Do not miss this opportunity to learn about, celebrate, and be inspired by the progress that makes shared paths and trails possible. Refreshments provided, and a bike valet to safely leave your bikes thanks to the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities. More details about the event, including field trip details and sign-ups are available at https://humtrails.org/ and the Humboldt Trails Council Facebook Page.

Starting at 1:00 pm, the public is invited to attend guided trail field trips offered at a variety of locations. Sign up for the hikes at https://humtrails.org/ where you will find more details on time, place to meet, etc. The hikes include:

• McKay Community Forest

• Arcata Annie and Mary Trail between Arcata and Pump Station #1 on the Mad River

• Cooper Gulch Trail in Eureka

• Eureka to College of the Redwoods Humboldt Bay Extension

• McKinleyville Community Forest

• Little River Trail, Hammond Trail

• Loleta portion of the Great Redwood Trail

• Freshwater Farms Reserve Nature Trail

The Humboldt Trails Summit is sponsored by the Humboldt Trails Council, with support from the Humboldt Bay Trail Fund, in collaboration with the County of Humboldt, the Great Redwood Trail Agency and the many organizations, jurisdictions and agencies working on behalf of expanding Humboldt County’s non-motorized trail access.

In an odd coincidence — but maybe not so odd, when you think about it — two longstanding Humboldt County transportation businesses called it quits within days of each other this week, both announcing their closure or imminent closure on Facebook.

City Cab made its announcement Wednesday afternoon. The Eureka-based 24/7 taxi service has been in business for decades and decades, and says it will keep running until the end of June. Cal Poly Humboldt has a list of alternatives — plus, of course, there are always ride-sharing apps.

Humboldt Towing, located on the Eureka waterfront, publicly announced this morning that it already ceased operations, and had some instructions for people whose cars are in the company’s possession. 

The Lost Coast Outpost popped by Humboldt Towing this afternoon to see anyone could speak to the closure. The receptionist confirmed the news, but said that the person who could speak with us was out of town at the moment. A message left for a manager at City Cab yesterday hasn’t yet been returned.

Here’s what each had to say on Facebook.

From City Cab:

This is one of the hardest posts we have ever had to write. After more than forty years of serving Eureka, CAE Transport Inc./City Cab of Eureka will be closing operations effective June 30, 2026.

We want you to hear directly from us why this is happening. Rising costs in fuel, insurance, and wages have made it impossible to continue operating sustainably. We explored every possible option before making this decision, and while painful, we believe it is the right one.

Thank you for allowing us to serve you for so many years. We are deeply grateful for the trust and support this community has shown us throughout the decades.

From Humboldt Towing:

After many years of serving the Humboldt County community, Humboldt Towing in Eureka and Fortuna has officially stopped providing towing services effective May 28, 2026 at 5:00 PM.

Due to the rising costs of employee wages, fuel, insurance, increasing regulations, and the growing red tape involved with operating a business in Eureka, California, this difficult decision had to be made.

We would like to sincerely thank our customers, local businesses, law enforcement agencies, and community members for your support throughout the years.

Please note:

If you or someone you know currently has a vehicle stored at Humboldt Towing, all vehicles must be picked up no later than June 20, 2026.

Office Hours:

Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM

Closed daily from 12:00 PM–1:00 PM for lunch

Also, keep an eye out for upcoming yard sale advertisements in the near future.

Thank you again for all the years of business and support.

Arcata’s first Gateway Project is on.

Arcata’s Planning Commission OK-ed the Yurok Tribe’s Natural Resources Campus Tuesday night, unanimously deciding to grant the tribe two permits that allow it to renovate three buildings and remove a shed at their property at 820 N Street. The campus will be a hub for the tribe’s natural resources division, their wing responsible for monitoring and protecting the environment. 

The site, once a collection of warehouses that housed a martial arts gym and the Kinetic Sculpture Lab, will be turned into office space and vehicle storage with around 40 employees. The commissioners gushed about the campus’ design, a long, low building clad in redwood, and lush landscaping composed entirely of native plants significant to Yurok culture. Director of Community Development David Loya said that few applicants include the amount of detail about their landscaping that the tribe had. 

Because it’s being adapted from previous buildings constructed long before the adoption of the Gateway Plan, many of the design features were “nonconforming” with the code and needed the commission’s approval to continue. The commission and city staff noted that the project, focused on light industry and job creation, was consistent with the Gateway Plan, which aims to make the southern portion of Arcata more vibrant and walkable. The tribe said they didn’t expect the campus to increase traffic or noise levels by any significant amount; it won’t add any vehicle parking spaces to the property, but it will add a couple dozen spaces for bicycles and incentives for using them or public transportation.

Later in the meeting, the commissioners discussed future updates to the land use code. Several of them noted that, if they hadn’t granted the permits, many of the design standards required of new buildings that the commissioners are working on updating would have prevented the tribe from completing the proposed renovations. “The project that we approved tonight wouldn’t have met those articulation requirements,” Loya said, “but it’s a fantastic building. Clearly, we got it wrong, and we need to fix that.” Future standards, they said, would have to be less checklist-focused, and more flexible, to allow architects to create more buildings like the campus.

The tribe is planning on turning the central area into a courtyard, replete with wood-burning firepit. One building will be office space; two will be used for storing vehicles.  

Although the Gateway Plan doesn’t allow for the installation of new wood-burning appliances, spokespeople for the tribe said they anticipated that the firepit would be used for ceremonial purposes; one of them floated the idea of using it for a salmon bake or tribal council meetings. The other three commissioners present were fine with the idea, except for noted wood-burning foe Peter Lehman. It’s all right if used infrequently for cultural purposes, he said, but if not, it’d be even “worse” than a woodstove. “Air quality, outside, is an issue in Arcata,” he said. “Wood smoke is dangerous. Smells good, but it’s poisonous.” He ended up acquiescing, and the commissioners granted the tribe an exception.

City staff and the commissioners said they were excited for the project to commence and to have their first Gateway Plan-focused project completed. 

“I think it’s a fabulous project, and I have great appreciation for the Yurok work, from salmon to condors to dam removal, restoration — there’s just so much going on,” commissioner Daniel Tagney said. “For them to choose Arcata for this project is just great, great for the community…This is a cool thing to have down there, and helps flesh out that neighborhood.”

A spokesperson for the Yurok Tribe was unable to comment before publication.

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PREVIOUSLY

• The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Appears to be Violating Its Own Policy and State Law on Automated License Plate Readers
• Humboldt Sheriff’s Office Responds to Outpost Investigation Into Its Automated License Plater Reader Program

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A petition making the rounds on social media is calling on the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office to end its contract with Flock Safety and remove all automated license plate-reading (ALPR) cameras from the county’s jurisdiction. 

The petition — linked here — argues that the ALPR cameras “raise significant privacy concerns” and contribute “to a climate of fear and mistrust.” As of this writing, the petition has garnered 732 signatures.

“We have the power to protect our communities’ privacy while still ensuring their safety,” the petition states. “Instead of relying on invasive technologies, we should advocate for community-based safety programs, engagement with residents, and invest in smart city planning that encourages transparency and accountability.”

The push to remove Flock cameras comes several months after an Outpost investigation revealed that the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office had allowed outside law enforcement agencies to conduct hundreds of thousands of monthly searches through the county’s ALPR data, often without obtaining legally required information for the search. 

Data logs reviewed by the Outpost last year revealed that hundreds of searches by local and state law enforcement agencies referenced federal agencies, including Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is a direct violation of SB 34. (A CalMatters investigation found that the law is routinely violated by law enforcement agencies across the state.)

Sheriff William Honsal tells the Outpost that its data is now shared with only a small subset of police departments that use the Flock system. See his response to the Outpost’s questions, below.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office implemented the county’s ALPR program in April 2024, which consists of eight seven “full-time” cameras and two portable “flex” ALPR cameras provided by Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that has contracts with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. 

The cameras are often mounted to street poles or other fixed positions along a roadway and automatically take pictures of vehicle license plates, which are then translated into letters and numbers. The cameras do not use facial recognition technology. The ALPR data, which is maintained and stored by Flock, is deleted after 30 days.

“[ALPR technology] is used by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office to convert data associated with vehicle license plates for official law enforcement purposes, including identifying stolen or wanted vehicles, stolen license plates and missing persons,” the county’s ALPR policy states. “It may also be used to gather information related to active warrants, wanted persons, suspect interdiction and stolen property recovery.”

When asked how many crimes HCSO has solved with the help of ALPR technology, a sheriff’s office spokesperson told the Outpost’s Ryan Burns that Flock cameras were used to track down two suspects involved in a homicide investigation in Glendale in July 2025.

“Deputies were able to get a description of the vehicle from witnesses,” the spokesperson said. “ALPR data was checked with that data and the suspect vehicle was seen leaving the area on the Blue Lake camera. Detectives were able to see the license plate; conduct follow up and the two suspects were arrested and booked into the HCC on murder. There have numerous other cases from missing persons vehicles being located to stolen vehicles being located because of the ALPR hits.”

While there are certainly benefits associated with ALPR technology, opponents are uneasy about constant surveillance, especially since there’s no way to opt out. Anyone who drives past the cameras, criminal or not, will have their data tracked and stored.

“[S]tudies and reports indicate that constant surveillance doesn’t necessarily equate to increased safety,” the petition states. “For instance, a report by the American Civil Liberties Union emphasizes that mass surveillance invades privacy while making little impact on crime rates. Rather than making our communities feel safer, these cameras often contribute to a climate of fear and mistrust.”

The petition urges community members to contact local officials to demand the removal of Flock cameras, including Sheriff Honsal and the Board of Supervisors. Online chatter indicates that ALPR opponents are going to address the issue during public comment at the Board of Supervisors’ June 2 meeting.

An update to the petition from the change.org team includes a response from Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo who wrote that the decision to end the contract with Flock “is entirely in the purview of the elected Humboldt County Sheriff, not the Board of Supervisors.”

Reached for additional comment on the matter, Clerk of the Board Tracy D’Amico told that Outpost that the Board of Supervisors has “final authority” over the county budget, but individual departments are able to make their own spending decisions. 

“[T]he county’s Purchasing Policy allows the Purchasing Agent, on behalf of departments, to execute contracts up to the purchasing threshold. There is still some oversight on contracts that don’t go to the Board,” D’Amico wrote via email. “[T]he Board of Supervisors received a report in 2024 discussing the [ALPR] program, expenditures and obligations that have already been incurred.

In response to an inquiry, Sheriff Honsal sent a statement to the Outpost. It is reproduced below:

Flock has implemented safeguards that ensure all data is controlled by the originating agency. There are now options to lock out sharing with federal or out of state agencies. We are currently utilizing these restriction options. Additionally, each request to share information with an outside agency is reviewed by an administrator. We have policy in place that ensures all queries of data are associated to an active investigation. A monthly internal audit is conducted to ensure compliance within HCSO. 

HCSO currently has 7 permanently mounted ALPR cameras and 2 mobile cameras. These cameras were purchased using grant funding. To maintain the service of these cameras we pay $21,000 yearly. We are in a contract with Flock that will expire on 6/30/2027.

The Sheriff’s Office respects the privacy concerns that community members have regarding any technology used by law enforcement.  HCSO has a responsibility to protect public safety, but we also have an equal responsibility to protect the constitutional rights and privacy interests of the people we serve. Those two responsibilities are not in conflict when technology is used lawfully, narrowly, and with the boundaries of the law.  The cameras are placed on public roadways where there is no expectation of privacy.    

License plate reader cameras are not facial recognition cameras or the do not identify who is driving a vehicle. They capture license plate information and vehicle characteristics from vehicles traveling in public view.  This is a far less intrusive tool than many traditional investigative methods, such as prolonged physical surveillance, traffic stops based on limited information, or the use of additional personnel to manually watch roadways and vehicles.

In our Rural County, this technology is necessary because our geography is large, our staffing is limited, and our deputies cannot be everywhere at once. Humboldt County covers a large rural area with limited law enforcement resources.   At the same time, we are still responsible for investigating violent crime, stolen vehicles, missing persons, organized theft, major drug trafficking, wanted persons, Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts, and other serious public safety incidents.   

When the County has cut a dozen deputy positions we must look for responsible, cost-effective tools that help us maintain public safety without increasing unnecessary contacts with the public.

License plate reader cameras help law enforcement develop leads after a crime has occurred. They can assist in identifying a suspect vehicle, locating a stolen vehicle, finding a wanted person, or determining whether a vehicle connected to a serious crime entered or left a particular area. In many cases, this technology helps investigators narrow their focus based on facts, rather than speculation. That is better for the investigation, better for the public, and better for privacy.

This technology also directly helps victims of crime. When someone’s vehicle is stolen, when a family member is missing, when a victim is being followed or threatened, or when a suspect vehicle leaves the scene of a violent crime, time matters.   LPR cameras can provide investigators with timely leads that may help locate a victim, recover stolen property, identify a suspect vehicle, or establish the direction of travel after a crime has occurred.  For victims, this can mean faster answers, quicker recovery of property, stronger investigations, and a better opportunity to hold offenders accountable.    In many cases, victims are left waiting while law enforcement tries to piece together limited information from witness statements, surveillance video, and delayed reports. License plate reader technology can help reduce that delay by giving investigators a starting point based on objective vehicle data.    

The Sheriff’s office has a strict LPR policy, and I urge you to review the policy. We only hold onto the data for 30 days.  We are not sharing data with all State Agencies.  We are only sharing data with the Northern California Sheriff’s, CA Highway Patrol, and our local Police Departments. We are not sharing data with Border Patrol or ICE.   We are not sharing data with any agencies outside the state.   Also, we have a transparency page that outlines our use of LPR technology. 

The Sheriff’s Office believes license plate reader cameras are a reasonable, limited, and necessary public safety tool for Humboldt County.    We encourage the public to understand that this is useful and it respects the rights of our community.   

Here are a few of the successes:   there are many more.  

• 202402640, July 2024: The stolen pride flag from the courthouse investigation.   Suspect vehicle located using the LPR camera data.   Suspect ultimately held accountable.  
• 202502936, July 2025:  LPR Data help identify the suspect vehicle in the homicide of Joshua McCollister that occurred in the Glendale transient camp. 2 arrests made as a result. Suspects are awaiting trial.  Without the LPR data, this may have been an unsolved homicide.  
• 202405268, December 2024: LPR data captured the moment that a drive by shooting occurred in McKinleyville and immediately identified to us the suspect vehicle. As a result of this case, one person has already pled guilty to the shooting, and another is in custody awaiting trial 
• 202504209, September 2025: LPR Data helped us locate and return a stolen trailer to its rightful owner. 
• 202503326, August 2025: We had surveillance footage of a getaway vehicle from a vehicle burglary and LPR data helped identify the suspect vehicle which ultimately resulted in the arrest and conviction of 3 suspects who have committed numerous crimes of the same type
• 202503435, August 2025: Stolen vehicle recovery after we were notified of its location by our LPR data system. 

Here is a real-world example:  Last year, Austin made the decision to turn off its License Plate Reader cameras (LPR) network following a public pressure campaign built on misinformation about how the technology works. This weekend showed what that tradeoff can look like.

For nearly 24 hours, three suspects moved through Austin in stolen vehicles, carrying out a shooting spree across 12 separate locations. People were shot. Homes, apartment buildings, businesses, and fire stations were hit. Robberies and additional car thefts piled up as the suspects kept moving.

The response was massive. 200 officers, helicopter support, K9 units, a full manhunt. Even with all of that, the suspects stayed ahead of law enforcement. Then they crossed into Manor, Texas.

Manor is a city of roughly 20,000 residents with a fraction of Austin’s resources. What Manor has is an active license plate recognition network and the community support to keep it running. Manor PD located the suspects almost immediately. The spree ended. Residents stayed safe.

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NOTE: Over the weekend, one of our readers wrote in to note that the last four paragraphs of Sheriff Honsal’s emailed statement are identical to a May 18 statement posted to Flock Safety’s Facebook and Twitter accounts — linked here.

An unarmed man in Hoopa was fatally shot by a California Highway Patrol officer after a foot chase and physical altercation on Sept. 17, 2023.

After William “Willie” Nelson, age 43, was pronounced dead around 8 a.m., local police were instructed to avoid disturbing his body and to wait for state investigators to arrive. But Hoopa is a far drive from the Department of Justice’s office in Sacramento.

His body stayed in a yard for over eight hours. And according to police reports released through the Police Records Access Project, the situation at the scene was tense.

According to police records, a group of people had gathered around Nelson’s body as the day progressed, some shouting at police as they collected evidence.

Many of Nelson’s family members lived nearby and gathered by the scene as the hours passed, climbing cars and peering over a fence to see Nelson and watch local police.

One officer described the group as “very agitated,” in a declaration. Another said in a statement onlookers at the scene expressed their distrust that an  unbiased and objective investigation would be conducted.

While police left him there to maintain the integrity of evidence for outside investigators, Nelson’s body was outside on a day the temperature peaked at 90 degrees.

In the attending officers’ statements, one reported family members “expressed their hatred that the decedent’s body was left exposed on the ground for so long.” Another said that early in the day, one man near the scene’s perimeter yelled at a Sheriff’s Office deputy, and threatened to kill him and all police in Hoopa. Another person reportedly made hand gestures mimicking an imaginary pistol.

Ultimately, given the growing tension and extended travel time, the DOJ gave local police the go-ahead to move the body. The Sheriff’s Office coroner, who had staged nearby earlier, arrived at 4:45 p.m. to collect the body.

By the time the coroner saw Nelson, there were flies swarming and his body was bloated, the coroner’s testimony said.

It was the first time the DOJ investigated an officer-involved-shooting in the county. Documents reveal the novel effort came with hiccups, stemming from the isolation of Humboldt County and the untested nature of the new system.

Today, over two and a half years after his death, the investigations’ findings have yet to be released, but a spokesperson from the DOJ emphasized these investigations must be comprehensive and thorough.

Meanwhile, Nelson’s family is seeking a jury trial in an ongoing wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit.

The day in question, according to records

Around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 17, “Willie” Nelson and two passengers in a silver Volkswagen Jetta were driving along State Route 96 to go fishing.

CHP officer Neil Johnson (followed by a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy, David Brooks, in another police car) attempted to pull the car over for violations like a broken windshield and malfunctioning brake lights, but Nelson kept driving, according to Brooks’ partially redacted statement released by the Humboldt County Sheriff through the Police Records Access Project.

According to the statement, Nelson resembled a warrant subject officers were looking for. Later, dispatch told Brooks that he had an outstanding misdemeanor bookable warrant for his arrest, on suspected charges of assault and battery.

But after the patrol vehicles turned on their lights, Nelson reportedly accelerated, drove south of the Hoopa Mini Mart down an unpaved road onto Mesket Lane, jumped out of the vehicle at a turnout and fled on foot into the brush.

One passenger later told police Nelson only said “they pulled out behind me,” before he got out of the car, despite the passenger urging him to just pull over.

Photo of William Nelson, via GoFundMe.

While Deputy Brooks stayed with the passengers in the Jetta, officer Johnson pursued Nelson on foot.

Johnson, who had been assigned at the Willow Creek Resident Post for the past three years, had to hop several fences on the path while chasing Nelson in a semi-circle, approximately 200 yards before catching up with him and getting into a physical altercation.

Despite the spread of investigative documents released through the Police Records Access Project, what exactly happened during the physical altercation isn’t entirely clear yet. Johnson did not have a body camera on him during the altercation, which took place in the yard of a home. Johnson was interviewed by the Department of Justice with his attorney present, but copies are currently restricted.

At the end of the chase, Nelson was shot dead by Johnson, who in turn had facial injuries and a bite mark on his leg from the altercation, in which he deployed his taser.

Details in other documents tell pieces of the story.

One witness who lived in a nearby home told police they heard something like “put your hands up” after seeing glimpses of Nelson fleeing from his car and Johnson chasing after him.

Then they heard gunshots and the same commands repeated. The witness estimated this occurred in just under a minute, when being interviewed by police.

One Jetta passenger later told police they heard three gunshots in a row, less than a few minutes after Nelson jumped from the car. The Sheriff’s Office deputy stated he similarly heard three to four gunshots.

According to a statement from Deputy Matthew Froeming, who was called as backup, he arrived at the scene and Johnson flagged him down. 

“I observed Officer Johnson now kneeling on the ground in a grassy area. I observed Officer Johnson roll a male subject who appeared to be handcuffed onto their back,” Froeming said in his statement.

“Upon getting closer to Officer Johnson, I observed him to be breathing heavy and coughing. I observed Officer Johnson’s uniform to be disheveled, covered in dirt and his arms covered in blood. I also noticed Officer Johnson’s taser holster was empty.”

Froeming found Nelson’s chest to be covered in blood, checked his pulse and noticed he eyes were open but he was not moving, and called in medical assistance. Nelson was declared dead at 8:11 a.m.

At the time, Johnson told Froeming his head hurt and had a bite injury. The deputy reported seeing swelling and redness on Johnson’s face.

The lawsuit filed by his family alleges Nelson put his hands up after Johnson pointed his taser at the man, an altercation ensued, and Nelson ran away again, with Johnson then deploying the taser at Nelson’s back.

“After the Taser was successfully deployed, another altercation ensued, wherein Johnson fired the lethal shots.” 

The lawsuit alleges Nelson was lying flat on his back at the time of the shots. 

“Even though Johnson was not faced with an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury and had less than lethal alternatives available to subdue [Nelson] and to take [Nelson] into custody, including redeploying the Taser or using his police baton, Johnson did not exhaust these alternatives,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges Johnson failed to issue warnings he would use force, calling the shooting “excessive and unreasonable,” due to a “lack of immediate threat” to anyone.

The Investigation

Despite the time it took for state investigators to reach the scene, local police began working immediately to capture key evidence.

The county’s Critical Incident Response Team secured the scene, interviewed passengers, checked with nearby residents, took photos and collected evidence.

According to a list of police assignments from the day, 29 officers across eight law enforcement departments were on it.

CHP investigators processed Johnson’s firearm from his belt (which was video recorded and observed by police from other agencies). According to counts from the firearm, there was a potential for three or four rounds to have been fired. Later, investigators found a total of three expended shell casings near where Nelson was shot, and found four bullet wounds noted in his autopsy.

Local police notified the Department of Justice immediately, after determining the case could meet the qualifications for the state office to investigate the shooting.

Under AB 1506, a state assembly bill that went into effect in 2021, the California Attorney General’s Office must investigate shootings of unarmed people by police, a measure aimed at adding transparency and accountability to these types of investigations.

But in this case, it also meant Nelson’s body was in view of his family after he was shot in the chest, due to agents’ eventual travel time of over seven hours.

DOJ officials told local police to not touch or disturb the body in any way before DOJ personnel arrived, according to police statements in the documents.

“It was terrible. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it,” officer Jason Esselman, a spokesperson for the Humboldt Area CHP, told the Outpost when asked about the delay in moving Nelson’s body.

He said because it was the first time the DOJ has worked in the county for this type of incident, the communication channels hadn’t been smoothed out.

Photo via CHP Humboldt.

The downside of the system, he said, is the long travel time to outlying areas.

But he’s hopeful the kinks have since been worked out, noting that it’s been a couple years since and the DOJ has learned more on investigating these types of incidents.

“As of today, they’ve got a better process, more current investigations are going quicker,” he added.

Since then, the DOJ “has attempted to strategically place agents assigned to [California Police Shooting Investigation Teams] in every DOJ regional office in order to cover a wider geographical area, which has greatly improved our response times,” Alexandra Duquet, a spokesperson for the department said in an emailed response to questions from the Outpost.

This includes regional offices in Sacramento, Dublin and Fresno. Tasked with covering all of Northern California, the offices are currently staffed with 8 Special Agents, 2 Special Agent Supervisors and 1 Special Agent in Charge, the spokesperson said.

Local police did end up transporting Nelson’s body.

HCSO Sgt. Blake Massaro spoke with a DOJ special agent over the phone, advising him of the increasing hostility “progressing changes in the safety and security of personnel on scene,” according to a police report.

The DOJ agent said they were still a ways away and authorized local police to have the Coroner collect the body.

During the autopsy, performed five days later and attended by investigators from multiple agencies, the examiner found Nelson had three gunshot wounds and one graze wound on his body. One shot entered his chest and exited near his left armpit. The second entered his left upper arm. The third entered his right forearm, while the fourth grazed his left abdomen. 

The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the chest, according to an autopsy report. The medical examiner, Dr. James N. Olson, found he was shot while “in close proximity while struggling with a law enforcement officer.”

Nelson’s body was also found with taser prongs in his lower back. He had  methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system, according to the toxicology report contained in the documents. One of the passengers reported to police he had a bad fentanyl habit and had not slept in a couple of days, according to a police summary of the interview.

Johnson’s taser was found tossed in a bush with one cartridge used. He had a bite mark on his leg and bruising on the left side of his face, according to police documents, and was transported to the hospital.

For the investigation into Nelson’s death, the DOJ is reviewing CHP policies on foot pursuits, disengagement and requesting backup, according to emails exchanged between the agencies obtained through a public records act request.

In part of CHP’s foot pursuit policy, obtained through a public records act request, officers are instructed to discontinue foot pursuits if the suspect is identified and could be apprehended later, or if officer safety is in jeopardy.

After being put on administrative leave, Johnson has returned to work at CHP Humboldt, the CHP confirmed. The agency declined to comment on the administrative review or length of time he was on leave through a spokesperson, who cited the lawsuit.

Lawsuit argues Nelson ‘posed no immediate threat’

Filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the latest version of a lawsuit filed by Nelson’s family members names the state of California and Johnson as defendants.

The suit, filed in federal court in Dec. 2024, claims Nelson’s constitutional rights were violated — including rights protecting him against unreasonable search and seizure, excessive force, denial of medical care and battery. It also argues there was a lack of due process for the family.

The lawsuit argues Johnson failed to assess whether he needed to pursue Nelson on foot and use deadly force, stating Nelson was experiencing a mental health crisis.

“They had no information that any person was at risk of harm or danger; they had no information about the decedent’s background or history; they did not see the decedent act in a violent, threatening, or aggressive manner; they had no information that a crime was being or about to be committed by the decedent; and they had no information that the decedent was armed with any weapon,” the lawsuit says.

It argues that because Nelson was not armed with a gun or a knife at any point during the incident he “posed no immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury” to Johnson or others.

The state and Johnson deny these allegations, from the law firm Dean Gazzo Roistacher LLP. A response, filed in court, points out Nelson “willfully and unlawfully used force and violence upon Officer Johnson and provoked the altercation,” the response said.

“The force employed, to prevent the continuance of such conduct was reasonable and not excessive,” the document said. The response also stated the actions of Johnson were taken in response to an emergency situation, and there was reasonable cause to make an arrest.

The family calls for a jury trial, and is seeking damages including for pre-death pain and suffering and wrongful death damages, funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support, punitive damages against individual defendants, and attorney fees.

Previously, the plaintiffs’ claims for damages in March 2024 were rejected by the state. The suit has been steadily marching through the court process, after it was moved to federal court from the Humboldt County Superior Court.

Attorneys for Nelson’s family, and those representing Johnson and the state, did not return a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Attorney General’s Office says investigations must be ‘comprehensive and thorough’ 

Since the shooting, Nelson’s name has remained on a list of current cases as “under investigation,” on the DOJ website.

Nine other cases predate Nelson’s in the caseload, going as far back as Dec. 2022. There’s currently a total of 55 cases the agency is investigating.

The Attorney General’s office has been tasked with investigating police shootings of unarmed people since 2021.

The change aimed to have an independent, statewide prosecutor that would ultimately review potential for criminal liability. This bill was passed shortly after George Floyd was murdered by officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Humboldt County District Attorney Stacey Eads said in an email that while the office was briefed on the incident early on, the investigation was essentially handed over to the AG. The CHP similarly is uninvolved with the investigation.

“If they determine criminal charges against the involved officer are warranted, the A.G. holds responsibility of initiating and prosecuting a criminal action against the officer,” Eads told the Outpost in a email.

The Attorney General’s office has not yet prosecuted an officer under the bill since it went into effect.

But the DOJ spokesperson pointed out the bill doesn’t only focus on criminal charges.

“Our Police Practices Section looks at each case and evaluates a department’s policies, practices, training, and decision-making related to the incident. We look carefully at the totality of the case, and in each of our cases, we’ve issued a report that often includes recommendations to improve the overall response of our law enforcement partners,” the DOJ spokesperson said in an email. 

Reporting from CalMatters has found that the department wasn’t given as much funding as the office needed to take on these lengthy, complicated investigations, for the entire state.

And with years-long delays in the findings of investigations being released, some families are concerned about the new system. 

The DOJ pointed out that, by nature, the investigations are incredibly complex and must be taken seriously.

“These investigations must be comprehensive, and thorough. Our Division of Law Enforcement California Police Shooting Investigation Teams work to ensure we’ve done our absolute due diligence, such as interviewing and contacting every possible witness, gathering and reviewing all forensic evidence, and looking into all the angles,” the DOJ spokesperson said.

“It’s also important to remember that as part of the investigative process, the facts are reviewed by both our Special Prosecutions Section and our Police Practices Section for analysis which contribute to the final action or report that is produced. Further in recognition of the enormous responsibility associated with these events every single AB1506 report and recommendation is personally reviewed in depth and approved by the Attorney General himself as the culmination of this process,” she added.

A spokesperson for a co-author of the bill, then-Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (now mayor of Sacramento), declined a request for comment.

The first investigation of its kind here showed the system wasn’t initially set up with Humboldt County in mind — the trial run came with problems due to the area’s isolation, a common story with state mandates.

But the DOJ has recently completed an investigation into a shooting that happened around the same time as Nelson’s death.

“This is an active investigation and to protect its integrity, we cannot comment on it. All investigations are unique in their complexity, and some may take longer than others to investigate and reach a conclusion. These investigations must be comprehensive, and thorough,” the DOJ statement said.

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Clara Joan Bakke of Eureka was born on August 22, 1928, and passed away on May 23, 2026.

She is survived by her sons Randy (Kathy) and Michael (Sandy). Also surviving Clara is her sister Carol Steward of Lakeview, Oregon. Preceding Clara in death were her husband Orville, son Steve, and seven siblings.

Clara was one of nine children who grew up in northern Minnesota with parents Frank and Josephine Griffith. Her mother passed away at age 34, leaving her father and nine children ranging from six weeks to 14 years old. Clara met Orville and they married in Bemidji on December 7, 1946, where they soon started a family. They moved to Eureka in 1955, where they raised their family. Clara and Orville were married for 65 years until Orville’s passing in 2012.

Clara worked for many years at Cloney’s Red Cross Pharmacy in Eureka. She loved flowers and always had a colorful display in her yard. She also loved to bake and always seemed to be in the kitchen baking pies, cookies, and cakes. But what truly made her happy and put a big smile on her face was her family. Clara loved being a grandma to Brian, Lauren, Erik, Annie, Cindy, and Jeff, as well as a great-grandma to A.J., Kate, and Rhett. They loved her so much. Clara will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

No services will be held, as per Clara’s request.