[UPDATE: Surveillance Video] Good Samaritans Foil Attempted Murder, Robbery, and Assault With a Deadly Weapon by Masked Robber, Says EPD

### UPDATE: Surveillance video at the bottom of this story ###


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Suspect is escorted into a police car by EPD officers. [Photo by Bobby Kroeker.]

Several Good Samaritans came to the aid of the owner at N & S liquor store on 5th Street in Eureka at approximately 11:30 Monday night when a man wearing a bandanna and carrying a firearm allegedly attempted to rob the store.

When the masked man allegedly demanded money, the owner resisted by striking the would-be robber with the cash tray from the register. The suspect attempted to discharge the firearm but, the gun jammed.

Several good Samaritans then assisted the owner and attempted to wrestle the robber to the ground. He was overpowered by the helpful citizens who were holding him down when Eureka Police officers arrived on scene.

Sgt. Stanley Harkness, who preferred not to be interviewed on camera, allowed our reporter to capture his description of events below. He said that the suspect will be booked for Attempted Murder, Robbery and Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

Transcript of the audio:

We were dispatched to an unknown problem possibly involving a firearm or subject with a firearm inside the N & S Liquors here. When we responded there were three citizens restraining a subject who was wearing a bandana on his face. Through the investigation it was learned the subject with the bandana on his face had come in with the firearm and attempted to rob the store clerk. The store clerk resisted and was assisted by the three Samaritans who removed the firearm from him and held him until the police arrived and then took him into custody. He will be booked for attempted murder, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. [The attempted murder charges are] from pulling the trigger repeatedly on the firearm towards the clerk.

Update 12:10 p.m.: This is a press release from the Eureka Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:

King, AaronOn 03/14/16 at about 9:37 p.m., officers responded to a liquor store on the 1500 block of 5th Street for the report of a man causing a disturbance with a firearm. Upon arrival, officers found Aaron Christopher King, 25 of McKinleyville, restrained on the floor of the store by three citizens.

Officers reviewed the surveillance footage and saw King enter the store with a firearm in an attempt to rob the store. King attempted to shoot the clerk several times but the gun malfunctioned each time. The clerk fought back until a citizen came in and stripped the gun from King and held him down. Two additional citizens entered the store and assisted in holding down King until police arrived.

King was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for attempted murder, robbery, assault with a firearm, and felon in possession of a firearm. It was determined that the firearm used by King was loaded and had been reported as stolen from a residential burglary in Eureka.

Any witnesses to this incident are asked to call the Eureka Police Department at (707)441-4060.

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29 Comments
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Laurie Jensen
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Laurie Jensen
8 years ago

Right on!!! This is how we can take back our City and County!!! Thanks a Million to the neighbors for doing what they did!!!

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
Ernie Branscomb
8 years ago

…and, if the gun hadn’t jammed? Kudos to the mighty brave heroes that took his gun away.

The bad guy should get some serious jail time. His intent was made pretty clear.

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
8 years ago

I used to work there,it was a bad place then and worse than ever now.WE NEED MORE BRAVE PEOPLE to take back Eureka!!!NICE JOB citizens yay

liveeffect
Guest
liveeffect
8 years ago

a’int nobody bout to let you rob Nasty & Sinful!!!

Hey Bud
Guest
Hey Bud
8 years ago
pb
Guest
pb
8 years ago

about time the cops in humbolt ,play catch and release but at least people are finally helping themselves.

Dt
Guest
Dt
8 years ago
Reply to  pb

nobody is more frustrated by ‘catch & release’ than Law Enforcement Officers.

Cleanitup
Guest
Cleanitup
8 years ago
Reply to  pb

Since the voters of Eureka passed Prop 47… the cops have no choice but to release people… Prop 47 has made it so those crimes are now misdemeanors. The police aren’t at fault for that… whomever voted for prop 47 is. Unfortunately.

Humanityfirst
Guest
Humanityfirst
8 years ago
Reply to  Cleanitup

I am not sure that the charges of attempted murder, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. will allow them to release him.

Anon Forrest
Guest
Anon Forrest
8 years ago
Reply to  Cleanitup

I believe the intent of Prop 47 has been perverted by the cops as a “take That, Citizens! ” in retaliation for its passage. Cops have the power to destroy lives, and they haven’t the wit to use that power with judgment; or they are upset about the break in the system of their “brotherhood” to feed the prison industry. Either way, bodes not well for any of us. Is it really that simple? Beware. af

Life is Good
Guest
Life is Good
8 years ago
Reply to  Anon Forrest

Prop 47 was a Progressive pushed bill and passed by progressives. If I was a cop I’d shove it in your face every chance I could. Reap it!

ekanfromdows
Guest
ekanfromdows
8 years ago

Good thing the gun jammed.

Richard
Guest
Richard
8 years ago

what’s his name????

For Real
Guest
For Real
8 years ago

Great story! I hope they beat the shit out of him before the cops showed up. Accidentally of course!

hm
Guest
hm
8 years ago

Nice work! Lets go back to defending ourselves, I dont think the cops will mind some vigilante working groups.

is that perp wearing same color blue hat&hoody? Looks like the blue the crips wore back in the day, could this have been a gang initiation? I assume many of our random crimes are initiation, you gotta prove yourself to join the gang. Its so city like to actually try to kill the liquor store worker instead of just rob like we usually see here.
Talk to some teen boys, they know all the gangs around right now as the kids from those gangs have formed their own teen gangs. And some gangs like in mckville started their own.

Humanityfirst
Guest
Humanityfirst
8 years ago

Good job everyone! Thanks to fast thinking citizens and the brave store owner for crashing the cash drawer into the would be robber. Hope they keep him in jail for a long time. Thank EPD 🙂

Richard
Guest
Richard
8 years ago

Based on the video, he most definitely would have shot the poor clerk. Too bad the perp didn’t get more than a black eye before EPD got there. A big thanks to the citizens that had the juevos to take down the POS!

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
8 years ago
Reply to  Richard

He would have had a lot more “accidental” problems had I been there. Once that gun jammed it would have been time for an “accidental” whoop a$$!

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
8 years ago

I hope that black eye came from the citizens who stopped him!!hell yeah

Dan Yost
Guest
Dan Yost
8 years ago

To me it looks like that 1st lady is the one that took him down. Way to go lady!! The women in Eureka are tough as nails!

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
8 years ago

Should have accidentally knocked the perp out cold with a can of something. Thank Jah that gun jammed!

old town observer
Guest
old town observer
8 years ago

Stand and salute the brave woman who grabbed his gun. That could have turned out much worse, but she looked calm and very organized.

FB
Guest
FB
8 years ago

Heroin is a terrible drug. Turned a once creative cool kid into violent criminal. Thank god the gun jammed.

anoynomous
Guest
anoynomous
8 years ago

You Go Girl! Your a HERO!

LeAnna Carson-Hansen
Guest
LeAnna Carson-Hansen
8 years ago

Glad the thug had a weapon that did not function as intended.
I to think he would of killed the clerk.
Thank you Good Samaritans for not backing down and being aware of what was happening.
Maybe the clerk needs one of those tire thumpers that long haul truck drivers have?
Not sure if it is an “outlawed” weapon here in California.
I pray I am not called to be on the “alleged” robbers jury.
I do not honestly believe I could be fair or impartial.
The store should install higher quality camera system.

michael riggs
Guest
michael riggs
8 years ago

Great heroism and restraint by the good samaritans. He wouldn’t have been half as pretty if I had to hold him.

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
8 years ago

You can’t keep anything that can be used as a weapon behind the counter.one of our employees had a little bat under the counter he worked 10pm to 6am dude came in to rob him and he whacked him with the bat while the dude pulled out the register from the wall.cop told him get rid of the bat

Lol
Guest
Lol
8 years ago

This guy is pathetic. Gets handled by an older gentleman. Probably why he needed a gun. If you can’t bench 50 pounds you probably should pick a new line of work.

Who
Guest
Who
8 years ago

See he had a nice weed beard going on there .Sure could of been bad had that gun not jammed.