[UPDATE Friday] Eureka Police Chief Holds Press Conference on Officer Involved Shooting

Andrew Mills CHief of Eureka Police

Chief Andrew Mills of the Eureka Police Department [Photo by Mark McKenna]

The Eureka Police Chief Andrew Mills is currently (11:24 a.m.) holding a press conference about the officer involved shooting which took place in the downtown area on December 14 in which Clayton Lasinski, a Southern Humboldt man allegedly ran from a traffic stop, brandished a gun, and stole a car. Lasinski was shot at 42 times by officers.

Chief Mills says he has concerns about the environment the shooting occurred in.  Among other statements, Mills said that one of the requirements is that an objective person must believe that force is necessary. If someone points a gun at an officer, they have only a second and a half to two seconds to empty a magazine. EPD officers are trained to fire until the threat is stopped

Mills said that three of the four officers have been cleared for duty starting tomorrow. A fourth officer is on vacation and will be debriefed when he returns.

The EPD is launching a Transparency portal–the beginnings can be seen on their website.  On this site they will be releasing the power point from this shooting. They will be releasing the final report from the death of Tommy McClain, a man who died when shot by Officer Linfoot in September 2014. They will also be releasing the body camera footage that the North Coast Journal was suing to get.

Mills said he will take a long hard look at the shooting of Clayton Lasinski to make sure policy was followed.

We’ll update as more info comes in.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.:

Below is the PDF that EPD put together on the incident (Please wait a moment for it to load):

OIS.December2016 final

UPDATE:Full video of the press release minus a short piece will cards were changed.

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19 Comments
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stormy
Guest
stormy
7 years ago

They all need a long, hard look at target practice.

Taurus Balzhoff
Guest
Taurus Balzhoff
7 years ago
Reply to  stormy

And, I will be staying the hell out of Eureka, now and forevermore, until out of control cops learn to hunt a little better. Lethal force is one thing, spray and pray is quite another.
It is amazing that no innocents were hurt or killed in this fiasco, and don’t try to tell me that there was no damage to anyone’s property, or that this kind of use of force is policy. Bad policing and poor shooting, all the way around.

Roy
Guest
Roy
7 years ago

What can possibly be criticized about heavily armed, and armored, cops more or less randomly firing 40+ rounds down a busy street during business hours. After all, that’s what they’re trained to do. Why keep the peace when there are cowpokes at hand and broncs that need bustin’?

May your collateral damage be quick.

2 sides every coin
Guest
2 sides every coin
7 years ago
Reply to  Roy

Escalating an already dangerous situation is not their job, but they do it well all over the country. Just like a high speed pursuit, if too many members of the general public are at risk the pursuit is ended. 42 shots on a busy eureka street is just ridiculous and dangerous. If the suspect fired it would still be overkill, literally. Its a miracle no one else was hurt.

Why are we paying millions of dollars for non-lethal weaponry if they just shoot anyway. Police investigating police has to change. Unfortunately the EPD has a very long history of being trigger happy with little consequence to involved officers but huge money in wrongful death lawsuit payments. The last ones cost us $14million dollars.
14 million. But we cant fund mental health? School programs?

Everyone wants to throw around homicide stats which are of course off the charts but no one wants to talk about the study that found eureka to be one of the top 3 cities in CA where you are most likely to be shot by a cop.

If they really want to get rid of illegal guns they seriously need a real gang enforcement unit in eureka, getting a gun in the streets here is easier than getting a bag of weed. Teen gangs are in each high school here as & guns are a major money maker!

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago

A second or two to empty the magazine?! How about a second to aim at the target, I don’t know what “training” they get, even a hunters safety class will teach you not to pull the trigger when someone else could be harmed or even property. If there trained to just empty the mag maybe they should be the ones with 10rd mags

Bronco
Guest
Bronco
7 years ago
Reply to  Guest

” I don’t know what “training” they get, even a hunters safety class will teach you not to pull the trigger when someone else could be harmed or even property.”

Yeah, but for the most part Bambi isn’t strapped, brandishing a weapon, and aiming back at the hunter!

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Bronco

Well if he was it would only take one round to stop it

General Tommy Frank's
Guest
General Tommy Frank's
7 years ago

Give them three round magazines if they can’t get the job done with three rounds they should not be a police officer

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
7 years ago

According to what I read in the original article it was the same cop who killed the guy with the pellet gun in his waistband of his pants, that fired the first shots when the guy dove into a running rental vehicle after that it seemed to be “Open Season” to fire at will!!! Thankfully my name isn’t Will!!! This still sounds like “Wild West” mentality fire on anything faintly resembling the suspect!!! That’s my $.02 worth YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)

J
Guest
J
7 years ago
Reply to  Dan Fuller

It is the same guy! Fired at someone running away and not threatening him, he should be fired. How many innocent people were endangered by 42 stray bullets?

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
7 years ago
Reply to  J

Not just while he was running away eitehr the officer in question also fired 4 rounds into a rental vehicle the suspect jumped in while it was running, before he ever drew & attempted to fire!!!! A bit trigger happy if you ask me!!! Definetetly not one I would want on a police force!!!

Just-me
Guest
Just-me
7 years ago
Reply to  Dan Fuller

It’s scary knowing that he is back on patrol. I wonder how many more he will shoot.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Just-me

I don’t blame him for shooting this guy, I’m appalled at the disregard for public safety

Eldon
Guest
Eldon
7 years ago

You know, after reading all of the crap that you so called experts are spewing around, I would be more afraid of being around any of you in a situation like this. You are all talking about Hunter Safety courses and firearm safety, but, what you haven’t brought up is that the game that they are teaching you about doesn’t carry a firearm and maybe shoot you or shoot back. I just hope that any and all of you experts????????? never needs one of these Officers to come and protect your family OR your property. And I can speak from experience, I’ve been a armed Security Officer for many years and I have faced many issues with these type of people and if you haven’t been involved with this type of situation, get a life and move on. Enough said when you try to talk to someone who maybe doesn’t know even how to handle a ‘real’ firearm.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Eldon

Ha you are full of it, anyone who talks like that is a liar, if you carry a gun you are a liability

Reddick
Guest
Reddick
7 years ago

Whenever a government agency investigates itself you know it will be completely unbiased.
Transparency portal. Ha! What a crock

Slim Pickens
Guest
Slim Pickens
7 years ago

Guess we’d be better off with ol Barney Phief. I kin hear him a scream’in. “ANDY! LET ME HAVE MY BULLET!” “We gotta nip it in the bud!”

Treeware
Guest
Treeware
7 years ago

Did all 42 shots hit him? Is he still alive?

Just-me
Guest
Just-me
7 years ago

Those cops should get a per missed bullet fine. Should be $1,000 for every bullet that was discharged and missed their target. That might deter these cops from shooting wildly in public places.