(Listen) Heckled Cop Admits Saying ‘Go Back to the Reservation’: Humboldt Reacts; Other Top Stories

Refresh yourself or catch up on local news with Humboldt Last Week. It begins with quick summaries and often finishes with an interview or longer story. Available where you get podcasts and downloadable for later listening.


Humboldt Last Week, Episode 88

  • Heckled Cop Admits Saying ‘Go Back to the Reservation’: Humboldt Reacts (4:57)

The Eureka Police Department is investigating an officer who admitted on camera to telling a Native American man working on his car along the waterfront to “go back to the reservation.” In the footage the man can be heard responding with some insults of his own. The ‘Department has a zero-tolerance policy for racially insensitive comments. As the incident garners widespread attention, reactions and analysis are shared while body cam footage could eventually reveal more. Video below.

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Humboldt Last Week also includes additional crime updates, some attempts at humor, new music picks, Facebook giveaways, and more top stories. You can also listen and connect at humboldtlastweek.com.

Body cam photo by Ryan Johnson, Wikipedia Commons

Note: Video and podcast contains explicit language

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55 Comments
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I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago

Now THERE is a public servant who needs to find a new position somewhere…

Somewhere else…

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago

Agree. There’s protocol. Without getting racist.

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago
Reply to  Robin

You, yeah you, Truth is Indians had a price on their head, for money to turn in a dead indian. Kill em all, so we can have the land.

Zoltan
Guest
Zoltan
5 years ago

He should go after drunk drivers,not herding bad Indians around.or offending.

Divide by Zero
Guest
Divide by Zero
5 years ago
Reply to  Zoltan

The only “offending” I’m hearing is from the man doing illegal repairs on a public street. A premium AAA membership costs 22 cents a day, and they’ll tow the vehicle to a more appropriate spot to conduct the repairs. If this man lives on the Rez, that’s exactly where he should go to repair his car.

Koastdog
Guest
Koastdog
5 years ago
Reply to  Zoltan

Native American.
Indians are from India
I’ve met the big guy before in eureka he is a racist for sure.total pos.for all you white folks.try spending the day as a brown person. what happened to serve and protect.racist comments under any circumstance are not ok by law enforcement

Lone ranger
Guest
Lone ranger
5 years ago

Looks like Mr Goodale has run out of patience and Mr Yellow Bird needs to overhaul his automobile on his own property like the rest of us do, and Mr Yellow Bird if you need that car trailered home so you can repair it, ask a friend to borrow a truck and trailer, most are willing to help a brotha in need

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

If media thinks that a story is about racially charged statements, I wish I could hear the exchange preceding the remark. Few statements are clear without knowing their context. If for example the car repairer had said” I always do this in (whatever reservation) whenever I want” then the comment was not a racially “insensitive” comment. But if the man said, for example, “what do you think I ought to do” then it was.

I remember being on a bus one when the heavily accented, non native bus driver pulled over, stopped and told an Native Indian man to quit disturbing everyone with his loud comments. The Indian responses by about “You telling me I can’t speak my native language?” The bus drive came back with “You can speak it outside the bus if you don’t be shut up.” Frankly the native man had been busy pushing and insulting many people during the whole ride, while other Indians were trying to patch up the insults behind him. But because I saw the whole exchanges had had hours of it in fact- I knew who should bear the lion’s share if the blame.

In this case the recording is not sufficient to know and people are going to line up to fight it out in comments based on their own inclinations. And will only increase the existing prejudices by doing so.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Well said!

If only “The County” would stay off of the reservations – where they have ZERO jurisdiction. Last year i could purchase different types of tobacco in little baggies at the counter of Bear River smoke shop – grown on the reservation. This year i asked where the samples were – i get one of each. I was told that they “LEGALLY” cannot grow tobacco there now since HHS, or one of the alphabet agencies “Reached Out” to them.

Legality is not reality.

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

People are similar, through whatever race, anyone can be angry and offended. Some lashing out. Society as a whole is selfish and mannerless.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago

Well done Miles. That’s a lot of content in under 10 minutes.

I’d really like to see/hear all police video/audio of the “back to the reservation” incident. Body cameras should be active through every officer’s entire shift. The public should have access to the records.

Alt Right For Life
Guest
Alt Right For Life
5 years ago

Cops did right by stopping this guy from working on his car there.

Go home and work on your car, is home on the reservation?

POP should have simply had the junk car towed away and crushed for scrap.

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago

Scrap?, with unemployment 0%, even on the rez., what do u expect a person to do besides hitching a ride and walking?

Zoltan
Guest
Zoltan
5 years ago
Reply to  Robin

Ice in Algeria is trucking unwanted immigrants into 120degree desert to dry up and die.they are no longer useful commodity.

Divide by Zero
Guest
Divide by Zero
5 years ago
Reply to  Zoltan

What are you talking about????

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago

In a different state, here at the small park this evening a man is working on his car, no one bothering him, he looks native or Mexican maybe.Hmm, Hmmmmmmmmm, No one is bothering him. Children play nearby, police patrol, neighbors go about their business, no one cares. No ones offended. No one stops to ask him what he’s doing obviously working on his car. No one is angry. Peaceful. It exists.

Jeff
Guest
Jeff
5 years ago

Ya kno i have been in that position of my car breaking down and not having enough money to get it towed and not having a,friend at my disposal with a truck and trailer to recover my car ,after scraping together enough money to get a part for it had to fix my car on the streets,to get it going again ,NOT A CRIMINAL ACT TO.HAVE TO DO THAT ,SOMETIMES YOU CANT CONTROL HOW OR WEAR YOURE CAR BREAKS DOWN .its one thing for the police to check on youre saftey and offer some help to get you back on the road AND THAT IS THERE JOB DISCRIPTION ,NOT TO HERRAS AN D DEGRADE YOU FOR A MOMENT of bad luck .i personally find youre comment totally offensive [edit] .i hope you break down somewhere in the middle of the nite far from home and can get no fone service and the whole town you stumble in offers you no remedy for youre problem cause you are an outsider and the cops tow youre shit cause,you can’t get it fixxed fast enough .that would make my day .its,good youre not a cop and you probably think im native indian but im Caucasian white boy and it dont matter what race you are .cars break and some of us have to do what we got to do to get it going [edit] youre attitude serves no good cause for america ,eureka ,or humanity and you can take it up with god

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
Muddy Black Dodge
5 years ago
Reply to  Jeff

I’ve been there too. Great comment Jeff.

Jeff
Guest
Jeff
5 years ago

its not against the law to fix youre car kno the law dumbass end of discussion

Eldon G. Whitehead
Guest
Eldon G. Whitehead
5 years ago

Being a Native American doesn’t give you the right to do whatever you want to do or wherever you want to. As I’m about 80% Cherokee, that doesn’t give me the right to badger a Law Enforcement Officer that is doing his job. If you don’t like it, do what he says “go back to the reservation”, end of discussion.

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago

we do not “all” live on a reservation. That being said, the officer shouldn’t of offered that as a response. The native may have just broke down, hadn’t the money or been trying to fix the vehicle. Geez, troubleshooting. Yes preferably everyone should work on their own vehicle in their own property. But being broken down, you do not choose where to break down.

Zoltan
Guest
Zoltan
5 years ago
Reply to  Robin

IQ now is dropping 7. Points per generation.is 18. Years a generation now.for welfare?

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago

Of course not. Yet dealing properly with an angry person having a hard time takes tact.

Tweakytown
Guest
Tweakytown
5 years ago

We took their land by force. Gave them their own and i happen to live on a res.
Trash everywhere! Mother earth isnt going to take back the plastic trash you natives refuse to clean up. Im thoroughly shocked and disgusted the way todays natives treat mother earth!

gimmie a break
Guest
gimmie a break
5 years ago
Reply to  Tweakytown

What do you mean ” WE ” ??? I didn’t take shit from anybody!! But most of the Native Americans get a check, casinos, medical care and dental care all for free. So what exactly did ” I ” fkn take ??

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago
Reply to  gimmie a break

I don’t get a check, medical care, for free. And I do not live on a rez. I am 58, last yr., a casino was built. Wow, the ignorance is outstanding. Have 3 tribes in my blood.

Robin
Guest
Robin
5 years ago
Reply to  Tweakytown

Do you understand the amount of anger, suicide and depression that goes with genocide. Obviously not. Educated persons know the high rate of substance abuse as a result of this reality.

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Robin

So blaming something that happened a hundred years ago is an ok for substance abuse? I’ve heard it all now …. more excuses and manipulation for fucked yo behavior. How about self accountability and control over your own actions no matter what your past is?

Lone ranger
Guest
Lone ranger
5 years ago
Reply to  Robin

He just asked if people would clean up their plastic, that’s it

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Robin

Embracing something so acid that it eats up whatever it touches is self destructive.

Zoltan
Guest
Zoltan
5 years ago
Reply to  Tweakytown

Store food causes depression everywhere.

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago

So…. is telling a drunken Irishman to go to his island a racist remark?

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  CoveTroll

Possibly choosing drunken as the crime for an Irishman might count as racist…

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

In fact, Irish and especially the Irish immigrants embraced the idea and ended up glorying in it until they see it as a part of of their national character themselves. Just like the Scottish embraced the reputation of excessive frugalness. Or the English embraced class ridden social structures. That is a sign of health I think. That an global insult by outsiders is understood in a context that outsiders can’t and that it is only a small truth so that its sting is gone.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

I’ll tell my Irish self to not be insulted then…

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I think you know that already. Croi follain agus gob fliuch.

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Lol. I like it kym

Martin
Guest
Martin
5 years ago

Time to lay this topic to rest. It happened, and it is over. Only the police officer knows what was said to cause his reaction to “go back to the reservation.” I am not hanging the officer until I know the full story.

Disgusted
Guest
Disgusted
5 years ago

The comments on this story are indicative of why someone like that even got hired by EPD. People bending over backwards to explain away the comment, while further degrading native people for good measure.
Shameful behavior.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Disgusted

They are certainly indicative of people falling into well worn ruts in assuming that it is clear just what happened and where the fault lies. Voluntarily walking the same circle endlessly only make deeper ruts until the walker can’t see anything outside of it.

That is not only shameful behavior, it is self destructive behavior. “Hanging on to a resentment is like drinking poison and hoping it will kill someone else. – Anonymous. ” And inciting that person to stay in that rut is truly wrong.

Zoltan
Guest
Zoltan
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Thoughtful or rote behavior.

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Well said guest

Divide by Zero
Guest
Divide by Zero
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Let’s call it for what it is; for profit resentment.

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago

We have never heard a police officer use this kind of offensive language, have we? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Lefty 4 life

Did you hear more than was on the video clip? Because all I heard the videographer being as nasty and offensive as he could be while the cops tried to deal with the reality that he shouldn’t be there doing that. To assume the behavior as represented on the video clip was the exact opposite of what was recorded is a conclusion that needs a boatload of prejudice

Sparklemahn
Guest
5 years ago

At least he didn’t say “take a long walk off a short wharf”.

Blue dog
Guest
Blue dog
5 years ago

Both of my grandparents told stories of their cars breaking down on their trips to California during the depression. Due to the generosity and help of people they met along the road, they made their way. I too have found my self in a situation where a vehicle broke down on the road and I had very little money for expensive repairs or towing. A little empathy and maybe a helping hand may have been a better approach. I think they call it community policing.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Blue dog

Did your grandparents cuss out the cops? Repeating, this report does not give enough information to conclude anything and people are arguing from their own prejudices, whether in support of or against the cops.

Too much of the time reports are nothing more than allegations and the allegations that get published are those that raise hot button issues.

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago

wasn’t it Drake that shot and killed the unarmed mentally ill lady hanging out her window on G with a fire extinguisher in 2005. wasn’t he put on leave for it?

oofta
Guest
oofta
5 years ago

Cops don’t get to drive vehicles on public roads that aren’t street legal (like that fancy 4-seater, optional windshield and hard top not withstanding is NOT legal). It should be easy enough to shut them down on that; write the Chief of Police and copy the City Manager, City Attorney and the City Council Member. If you don’t get an affirmative response, sent a letter to the California DMV and DOJ.

Canyon oak
Guest
Canyon oak
5 years ago

Should of told him to go back to the casino instead. That’s the contemporary native culture, ala Las Vegas capitalism.
Any one who denies they have prejudices is a liar. This tribal hick certainly does, so do the police. Totally different(diverse)people, totally different(diverse)world views, all wrapped up like bad meat in a civilization postmortem. Americans have so little unity of outlook today, we could be easy pickings for China or Russia. The only war any of us want to fight is another civil war. Bring it on antifa Portland scum! Happy Independence Day, white liberals! Maybe some day you won’t be embarrassed by your own history and ancestry, and you will defend what defines you.

Half blood
Guest
Half blood
5 years ago

Natives should just keep are mouths shut like good little indians and just sing and dance for the white man my grandpa was beat when he spoke language growing up by white man then when he got older then he said white man wanted him to teach them the language and to mr Cherokee haha how did youcome up with that dirty Indians right need to obey the laws of the white man read and learn my trube was thousands strong oh but the white man wanted the land so lets kill them savages right

Half blood
Guest
Half blood
5 years ago

Thats the attitude that killed the natives off this land where they roamed free no-one owns this earth the whole world is are reservation so he is home wherever he parks that horse

Anti troll league
Guest
Anti troll league
5 years ago
Reply to  Half blood

Unfortunately for that idea is the horse wasn’t native nor the car. Can’t cherry pick cultural appropriation on a whim just because it suits.