No Foul Play, Says Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson About Person With a Fatal Gunshot Wound Near Ettersburg Last Night

Humboldt County Sheriff badgeThe person who was reported to have a gunshot wound on Upper Mattole Canyon Road about 10 p.m. yesterday died at the scene and was not transported by a pickup as was originally reported on the scanner last night.

“There was no foul play,” said Humboldt County Sheriff’s spokesperson Stacy Hanson. Nor, she said, was the individual taken from the scene as was originally reported on the scanner.  “Deputies responded to the scene and investigated,” she said. “The Coroner was called.”

At the time of the incident, scanner reports indicate that the deputy wasn’t able to respond immediately because the scene required more than 2WD to access. Hanson explained that the Garberville office did have a 4WD vehicle but, she said, “It had a dead battery.” Then when the vehicle was jumped “all the service lights came on.” Because of the vehicle issues, it took awhile for another 4WD to be brought to the area.

Earlier Chapter: Gunshot Victim Being Driven to Town

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Cowabunga
Guest
Cowabunga
6 years ago

Sounds like there is a significant funding problem, if they can’t even keep their 4WD vehicles operating.

Ernestine
Guest
Ernestine
6 years ago
Reply to  Cowabunga

How very Mayberry RFD!

Dennis lewis
Guest
Dennis lewis
6 years ago
Reply to  Ernestine

At least you could pop start a Mayberry patroll car .

Cowabunga
Guest
Cowabunga
6 years ago
Reply to  Dennis lewis

Yes, or Goober could fix it in a jiffy.

Shake Well
Guest
Shake Well
6 years ago
Reply to  Cowabunga

They only have one 4WD vehicle according to this report. How does letting the battery go dead in a vehicle indicate to you that there is a “funding problem”?

Cowabunga
Guest
Cowabunga
6 years ago
Reply to  Shake Well

These Float Chargers work great for about 5 bucks. Hopefully they can find that much in their budget.

Much less than sending in another 4WD from somewhere else, or frying an Engine Control Module when jumping.<

Guest8
Guest
Guest8
6 years ago
Reply to  Cowabunga

Thanks for posting that I just ordered several, I’ll be dropping one by the sub station if they’ll take it.

Cowabunga
Guest
Cowabunga
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest8

Great Idea!

Just My Opinion
Guest
Just My Opinion
6 years ago
Reply to  Shake Well

Your could have a trillion $ budget and someone will still say it’s because it’s under funded. Although funding is important, that is a human error. A battery is $100 and no one could convince me the reason the battery didn’t work is due to funding.

Cowabunga
Guest
Cowabunga
6 years ago

Good Point!

M
Guest
M
6 years ago
Reply to  Cowabunga

Or poor budgeting of the money they are given

Patriot
Guest
Patriot
6 years ago
Reply to  Cowabunga

It’s time to go bust some ‘money hay’ growers and confiscate their brand new 4wd rigs.

Guest8
Guest
Guest8
6 years ago

Serously a trickle charger is 30$ on Amazon

humboldtmama67
Guest
humboldtmama67
6 years ago

How convenient that the 4WD didn’t work just when it was needed. If you ask me, SO HUM has it’s very own theories on how to reduce human population…Keystone cops at their finest!!

Gazoo
Guest
Gazoo
6 years ago

Sad ending

Hillbilly
Guest
Hillbilly
6 years ago

this is a failure of the politically correct policies, and a lack of moral fortitude.

Just My Opinion
Guest
Just My Opinion
6 years ago
Reply to  Hillbilly

That’s a hillbilly answer….lol

onlooker
Guest
onlooker
6 years ago

So our dirt-road area has only 1 4WD vehicle, and the battery was dead, and then it was nnot in good running order when they jumped it. I’m so grateful that the sheriff proposed and the supervisors approved funding for a tank. It’s so much more needed and practical than a functioning emergency-response 4WD.

DaPisan
Guest
DaPisan
6 years ago

Unbef…inglievable. Unacceptable!

Liz
Guest
Liz
6 years ago

Someone lost their life. There are family members mourning. This sounds like a suicide, no names will be released. What the sheriff drives or has available is the least of the concerns for the family.
May the soul rest in peace and the family and friends be comforted.

Truthy
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Liz

Yes, someone is gone, it could be an accident. There are family of this person, (one of us!), going through seven kinds of hell over this. Please give them space, and reserve judgment.

Brad
Guest
Brad
6 years ago

I’m a neighbor of the deceased and our main road was just graded from the pavement junction with Ettersburg Rd. However, with nearly 140 inches of rain so far since October the roads took a heavy beating and the spur roads like Upper Mattole Canyon Creek are still rough, but at least they’re mostly dry now.

Bad planning on the part of HCSO to not keep an all wheel drive vehicle in service 24/7 in one of the largest rural service areas of the county. Let’s hope this changes. When I drive by the courthouse in Eureka there always seems to be plenty of sheriff’s SUVs parked, so they have them but they aren’t doing us any good in the more developed and paved areas.

T-Ro
Guest
T-Ro
6 years ago
Reply to  Brad

The SUVs don’t have 4wd

Anne
Guest
Anne
6 years ago

For our county, all their vehicles should have at least all-wheel drive.

Walter
Guest
Walter
6 years ago

Thanks for the info. Now all of the bad guys know all you have to do to get away is go 4 wheeling. I bet if this was grow house the HCSO would be there Johnny on the spot.

Jorge Cervantes
Guest
Jorge Cervantes
6 years ago
Reply to  Walter

Very true !!!!!

Robert Tuel
Guest
Robert Tuel
6 years ago

Petrolia and Honeydew need atleast two resident deputies

judi
Guest
judi
6 years ago

this dead battery issue is just more whittling away at my faith in hcso.

i can’t imagine these officers hemmin and hawin waiting for a jump or someone w/a 4 wheel drive vehicle to come so they can get to the scene of a fatal shooting…

i can’t think of any reason they didn’t grab a damn set of pliers and swap the batteries from the running 2 wheel vehicle into the needed in an emergency 4 wheel drive vehicle.

even a suicide should be an urgent call with immediate attention. i’ve known of 2 deaths that were claimed to be suicides but were actually murders staged to look like suicides.

sad.

let me also say…the scanner chatter of this call gave me no indication it was a suicide. they even broadcast that the person shot was being taken via pickup to meet law enforcement up the road, they thought they’d meet halfway.

were the emt’s able to get there but ended up staging long hrs as they awaited law enforcement? that has to be frustrating.

Patriot
Guest
Patriot
6 years ago
Reply to  judi

They are law enforcement officers not vehicle mechanics, they probably can’t tell the difference between the negative and the positive battery terminals. Don’t give them too much credit.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Patriot

Any Leo working in a rural area needs basic mechanical knowledge, not just for their cars, but also to help stranded motorists.

Veterans friend
Guest
Veterans friend
6 years ago

Hey…ESTELLE FENNEL… can we be assured in the future that HCSO will have 4wd. If not, why not. You! I AM ASKING YOU. You are our liason with the county. WE WANT ANSWERS
THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION

Buzzard
Guest
Buzzard
6 years ago

They should have borrowed some of CAMPs trucks, atvs,etc. when there is a bust it seems like ALOT of four wheel drive sheriff trucks come out on parade. WTF!?!?!?

Gfpd
Guest
6 years ago

How many of us have jumped in our vehicle only to find it had a dead battery or other unforeseen problem. These guys risk their lives to keep us safe. How about some thanks and gratitude, mabye learn from it and press on.

G-MAS
Guest
G-MAS
6 years ago

So if their 4×4 did start,would it have changed anything? My condolences to the family,I’m so sorry

Notbuyinit
Guest
Notbuyinit
6 years ago

When the drug task force comes to a property for a bust there is almost always 10-12 4wd vehicles involved. When someone gets shot there’s no 4wd vehicles available. Clear example of priorities at work

Justthinking
Guest
Justthinking
6 years ago

Maybe it is a tax issue. Pot growers don’t pay as many taxes as the 9 to 5 working person. Maybe they feel you don’t support their services so why should they help you. Cops are people too. They can feel betrayed as you would standing in their shoes. Most of you choose a life outside the rules of an organized society but when something goes wrong, you want the organized society to rescue you. Could cause some people to raise their eyebrows.

Truthy
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Justthinking

This is not the time to lecture anyone. A life has ended, prematurely, possibly by an accident. No one, most surely the family and friends of the deceased, need to be subjected to any negativity. Please give them room to mourn, and breathe, and hug each other.

Me
Guest
Me
6 years ago

Um every other road around this area is 4wheel drive , and they cannot make it a priority to make sure it will start at the end of or the beginning of a shift

Me
Guest
Me
6 years ago

Um every other road around this area is 4wheel drive , and they cannot make it a priority to make sure it will start at the end of or the beginning of a shift..maybe the officers have never heard of a “bully” to quickly jump start?