By Sean Garmire
Times-Standard
EUREKA, Calif. — After reviewing initial reports about a Eureka police officer who drew his gun at a crowd of people at Eureka High School earlier this week, Eureka Police Chief Garr Nielsen said Thursday it appears the officer’s actions were justified.
“I don’t believe, at this point, he violated department policy,” Nielsen said.
According to information from EPD officials, Officer John Silvey was the sole responder to reports of a fight outside Eureka High School after a basketball game Tuesday night. According to EPD information, after Silvey arrived, school Principal Joseph Pawlick told him 45-year-old Roseanne Redner had just physically assaulted a 17-year-old student, accusing him of damaging her son’s car windows.
Calls to Pawlick and Eureka basketball coach Duane Peterson were not returned Thursday.
Silvey identified Redner at the scene. According to EPD spokesman Lt. Murl Harpham, Redner was out of control, allegedly confronting other adults, challenging a crowd of people to fight and assaulting the officer.
During the ensuing confrontation, Silvey fired his Taser at Redner, whose thick clothing shielded her and rendered the Taser ineffective. According to Harpham, the struggle continued until Silvey subdued Redner and handcuffed her.
By that time a large crowd had gathered, and according to Harpham, many began cheering when Redner was handcuffed. However, another portion of the group seemed angered by the officer, and began to approach Silvey -- reportedly admonishing him to release her.
Silvey, who had no backup at the time, reportedly drew his handgun and pointed it at the advancing crowd of around 15 to 20 people, ordering them to stop. According to EPD information, the group stopped about 20 feet away.
“It was a very difficult situation for a single officer to have been involved in,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen said after reviewing the case, it seems the officer believed his safety was under threat by the advancing group.
“My initial read of the report is that he conformed to our policy,” Nielsen said. “But I have not completed my review of the incident, so I don’t want to say definitively that his tactics were the ideal ones to use in this particular situation.”
According to Nielsen, EPD officers are taught to use deadly force to protect themselves or others from an imminent threat to their personal safety. And “any time you pull your weapon out of its holster, the assumption is that you are prepared to use deadly force if necessary,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen said he will continue to review the case to determine whether Silvey’s actions were justified.
Redner bonded out of jail Wednesday, where she had been booked on charges of felony child abuse, resisting arrest, challenging another to fight and disturbance of a school function. She awaits arraignment, which has not yet been scheduled, the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office reported Thursday afternoon.
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