FROM
DAILY ONLINE
Eureka Police Name Officer Who Shot Suspect
T
he Eureka Police Department identified Jan. 12 the sole officer who shot a suspect Dec. 30 during a multi-agency team operation to arrest the man wanted on suspicion of attempt robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, revocation of parole, burglary and reckless evasion. The suspect, Little Eagle Moon, 29, of Hoopa, was shot in the hand and arm by two of the six rounds fired by EPD detective Joseph Couch after Moon reportedly began ramming law enforcement vehicles and driving toward officers who were trying to apprehend him at Third and T streets in Eureka. Moon, who is charged with the attempted murder of officers among other counts, pleaded not guilty last week, according to media reports. All six of the shots hit either Moon, who then allegedly fled in the vehicle and caused a crash at Fifth and V streets before fleeing on foot into a greenbelt, where he was ultimately taken into custody, or his vehicle. Two others with Moon were not injured. Another officer fired a less-than-lethal shotgun, according to the EPD. EPD policy states that an officer should only fire at a moving vehicle or its occupants if they believe “there are no other
Make us a part of your daily life
For the news as it develops and all you need to understand politics, people and art on the North Coast, follow us online.
reasonable means available to avert the imminent threat of the vehicle, or if deadly force other than the vehicle is directed at the officer or others” or in the case of a terrorist attack. Moon, who was initially treated at St. Joseph before being transferred out of the area, was booked into the Humboldt County jail on Jan. 12. Couch was at the scene as part of the operation to apprehend Moon. He has been with the EPD for five years and is part of the Problem Oriented Policing Team and the county’s SWAT team. He was placed on administrative leave but was cleared to return to full duty Jan. 7 following “a review of the investigation as it stands at this point, interviews, and a critical incident debrief,” according to EPD. The investigation remains ongoing. The EPD stated in a release that video footage of the incident was captured on body-worn cameras and the department will release it according to state law, which requires it be made public as soon as doing so won’t jeopardize the investigation and not later than 45 days after the shooting, absent extraordinary circumstances.
The scene at the arrest of Little Eagle Moon on Dec. 30. Photo by Mark McKenna
— Kimberly Wear POSTED 01.12.22
Tsunami Advisory: Humboldt County spent most of Saturday under a tsunami advisory due to a devasting volcanic eruption near Tonga that sent surges across the ocean, with the highest in the region measuring at 3.7 feet in Crescent City and Arena Cove in Mendocino.
Officers take Little Eagle Moon into custody. Photo by Mark McKenn
Fatal Crash Arrest: Salyer resident Keiahna F. Moody has been arrested on suspicion of DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter following a crash on Pine Creek Road Jan. 15 that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Hoopa resident Carlie Kelley. POSTED 01.18.22
Updated Protocols: Humboldt County Public Health released updated guidance for COVID-19 isolation and quarantine for residents testing positive for the virus, following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols. POSTED 01.13.22
POSTED 01.15.22
northcoastjournal.com/ncjdaily
northcoastjournal
ncj_of_humboldt
ncjournal
northcoastjournal
Digitally Speaking
They Said It
Comment of the Week
The number of new COVID-19 cases confirmed by Public Health after the long holiday weekend, bringing Humboldt County’s total to 13,758, with 494 hospitalizations and 128 deaths as of Jan. 18. POSTED 01.18.22
“The sheer number of patients still means we could have an impact on the hospital census over coming weeks and we’re preparing for that.”
“Ten percent is really high. That’s awful.”
— Roberta Luskin-Hawk, CEO at Providence in Humboldt County, talking about the impact of the Omicron surge, which is expected to peak in February, on St. Joseph and Redwood Memorial hospitals. POSTED 01.12.22
newsletters
— Joshua Gruver commenting on the Journal’s Facebook page about the 33 fentanyl-related deaths in Humboldt County last year and the amount those deaths accounted for out of those recorded by the coroner’s office in 2021. POSTED 01.12.22
northcoastjournal.com • Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 • NORTH COAST JOURNAL
11
