They arrived around 9:20 a.m. and left around 12:20 p.m. this afternoon. While they were protesting outside, David Lawson's family was meeting with the DA.
EPD was there, observing chatting. People at the courthouse said some of the protestors hugged the HCSO deputies, also present.
Lawson's family is coming back to meet with the DA at 4 p.m. Protestors are expected to return; talk of possible rioting was told to me by more than one source.
Update: No protestors returned at 4 p.m. Made some follow up inquiries why and was told they decided to change the protest to the morning. However that information was selectively shared.
Last Friday evening, there was a rally at the Arcata Plaza. Last Saturday, protestors blocked exits at Safeway in Arcata, according to various media reports, not allowing people to leave, unless they agreed to call the Humboldt County DA's office.
The protests started after the complaint against Kyle Zoellner, for the stabbing of HSU student was dismissed last Friday due to lack of evidence. The investigation is still ongoing.
If less than 20 protesters try to riot in Eureka, I predict fat lips will abound.
ReplyDeleteThere were less than 20 this morning. Who knows if any will show up and how they will behave now that this post is up.
DeleteThat's bad news. In response to the craigslist thing posted last week, I'm curious as to whether Elijah Chandler's fingerprints and t-shirt were sent for comparison to the fingerprints and clothing fibers found on the knife. I don't want to perpetuate any rumors, but it would seem that his story is the most inconsistent and his t-shirt probably ended up covered in blood anyway after being used to put pressure on the wounds, so nobody would know if it was used to wipe blood and fingerprints from the knife. His lying about first responders not acting appropriately also seems to suggest that he's trying to shift the blame and guilt onto someone else. Those are the kinds of questions people need to be asking. They should ask what other suspects are being looked at, because it really doesn't look like Zoellner could have done it.
ReplyDeleteChandler is but one of many witnesses who gave untrue accounts. The Craigslist post needs to be authenticated as to its source before any real weight can be given to it. It may have been posted by someone undergoing an attack of conscience and it may be a hoax, although by the style of grammar and typography it would be a well done hoax by someone with a certain subcultural familiarity. But there is a trap in lending too much credence to something that fits a tidy narrative - that racist blacks were attempting to knife a "whiteboy" - as there is in latching onto the tidy narrative that a racist white knifed Lawson. Lawson may have been stabbed over something completely unrelated to the the confrontation with Zoellner by someone taking advantage of the chaos. It was apparently not the first eruption of drama related to Lawson that night. Of course it's all rumor, but law enforcement would be remiss in not doing everything they can to vet those rumors, including an attempt to authenticate the Craigslist post.
DeleteDEAR D.A., WE DEMAND :
ReplyDeleteJUSTICE FOR JOSIAH!
THE MEMBERS OF BROTHERS UNITED MUST BE FINGERPRINTED!
THEY ARE ALL SUSPECTS!
JUSTICE FOR KYLE!
THE MEMBERS OF BROTHERS UNITED MUST BE CHARGED WITH ASSAULT!
THEY ADMITTED IT IN COURT!
DEMAND JUSTICE NOW!
How is rioting going to solve the murder of Josiah and get his family the peace they need to begin to heal? These people do not care, they just want to jump on the bandwagon. A life was lost, how about find a way to honor the victim you care so much about. Rioting and blocking people from doing their daily activities is not a way to get the community to stand with you. We haven't even come up on a month of Josiah's death. Investigations take time, especially a hot mess like this. While they claim Humboldt is racist, this can be both true and untrue. Look at Dax Brown, he was a white teen who was murdered and it's been two years and not solved. People aren't rioting and protesting.
ReplyDeleteJust want to point out, I said talk of possible rioting. Whether they riot or not, these people have shown this entire week, they do not care about Justice because chanting won't solve the murder, helping law enforcement by coming forward will. Elijah Chandler has time for a radio show, another media coverage opportunity for him, but no time to actually help in the investigation.
DeleteIt's also worth noting that this case is not like that of Dax Brown. In this case, there were over 100 people at the party, nobody is cooperating and apparently none of them witnessed the stabbing. There are likely quite a few people who know what actually happened here, but are covering it up.
DeleteYou speaking the truth John Chiv!
DeleteBrothers United is based solely on the premise of "racism" against whites. These wards of HSU come from ghettos with a full scholarship to blend the racial climate of the campus. HOW POLITICALLY CORRECT CAN HSU GET!
ReplyDeleteTheir god Obama supported rebellion and anarchy for 8 years so their role model is now a cause of their actions. Let's turn Humboldt into a another Fergurson or Chicago. Burn baby burn brother! NOT!
I would like to know what the hell is wrong with Josiah's mother, why is she not putting a stop to anymore potential violence? Is this a reflection of his family and his friends?
ReplyDeleteThis protest was peaceful, if you ignore the some of the slogan rhetoric. In comparison to the other protests, it was; no one was prevented from going in and out of the Courthouse. Why is that? Was it because of the absence of certain people present other protests? Or the presence of EPD and HCSO who reached out, talked to the protestors, and made sure every one was safe.
ReplyDeleteJohn - thanks for the reporting of this and several other cases currently being held in the Humboldt County Courthouse!
ReplyDeleteYou provide knowledge of items not shown in other local mainstream media..
I will be listening to the police scanner radio this weekend, to see if civil unrest continues in the local area over this matter.
Thank you Anon.
DeleteI drove by and told them all lives matter and a guy yelled fuck you at me lol
ReplyDeleteI am a bit confused.....by marching and protesting that they want Justice for Josiah are they stating they thing that the suspect that was released should be prosecuted? Or are they wanting the investigation to continue to find the real killer? I do believe that Elijah Chandler needs to be finger printed and I believe he had something to to with the killing due to his quickness to cry racism on the EMT's, Police and Everybody at the party. And SCREW HSU for allowing this BS "Black Brothers United" club. This promotes racism anyway you look at it.
ReplyDeleteHey John, did you happen to get a copy of what they were passing out today. It was shown on the news tonight.
ReplyDeleteNo Maria. I was covering some court cases all morning and the protestors had left by the time I got to the front of the courthouse, later today.
DeleteI feel compelled to write this post. I am truly disappointed in our community. Young Black Women and Men at HSU are being treated horribly by numerous people both on Facebook and on Craigslist. These young people just lost their friend to a horrible violent death. They are being threatened and verbally abused to the point that they are actually afraid to be here. Death threats and everything!They are being victimized by people who are putting up fake posts on Craigslist as they try to speak their truth and stand up for one another, and they are called gangs! How absurd! Stand the fuck up, I call out to all the good people in this community! Reach out to these young people and let them know that you are here to help and protect them from these online bullies. People want to scream that this is not about race, last time I checked, they can't change the shade of their skin anymore than I can! I can understand if you're friends with the Zoellner family, but that gives you know right to spew such hatred!!!
ReplyDeleteYou feel compelled to write this post Louise but ignore the behavior you dont want to see. I and other members of the media were intimidated, I have been harassed daily since last week by certain people and the color of their skin, black, white and brown does not matter. I have received threats and personal information about me given to these people by hateful, spiteful people who outed me for reporting facts. Other media has been harassed online and threatened. Acting like thugs, intefering with the investigation, protesting, blocking exits at Safeway, all this you ignore. Spare me the social justice warrior bs and the race card. Either apply it equally and be unbiased or stop damning a community that does not deserve your tunnel vision smear. Zoellner and his friends safety has also been put at risk, I don't see you compelled to defend them.
DeleteLouise, this incident didn't happen because some white folks (one isn't even white) cane to pick on some black folks at a party. This incident happened because of a couple black guys. They sure werent afraid when they beat Kyle to a point of unconscious. Im not sure where you are from, but I came from the Bay, and when black folks get together, especially when drinking, they get loud and act hard. They saw a scrawny white bout that they thought they could fu*k with. I know that knife was intended kyle and they missed, that's just how its done. If you see your homeboy fighting, you jump in. Id put money that that knife came from the house. They only want to cry race when something bad happens. Stop crying and move on. Youre not the only race to suffer tragedy.
DeleteAgain you are speaking the truth John Chiv! Thank you for that!
Delete"Reach out to these young people and let them know that you are here to help and protect them from these online bullies"
DeleteLouise and other social justice warriors are the biggest racists of all. They consider blacks to be pets, retards or crippled children who need to be protected. It's disgusting.
they didn't seem too scared when they were basically strong-arming people into calling the DA & holding them hostage at that protest the other day... people are reacting to these kids actions, not the color of their skin... you cant point fingers at everyone & yell racist when your the one whos acting like a racist... this is Humboldt county, diverse & liberal, we are not some back woods red neck confederate flag waving community that's out to get anyone of color.
DeleteI think the should steer toward Elijah to, then they'll say you blaming an innocent guy if they focused on him. Can't win
ReplyDeletethey are turning this into a racial issue but wasn't it racially motivated when they attacked & beat that kyle kid? wasn't it stated he wasn't being aggressive & they jumped him? look at his mug shot, they worked him over good. the fact they haven't found the guilty party yet is because it was a house party where everyone was drunk & the stories are all different.
ReplyDeletewhat about that girl who was killed on Pst? anyone get arrested for that? nope, nobody screaming about racial injustice & police ineptitude on that though are they?
then theres the craigslist post about it being ellijah, can you imagine if that's true? then it seems to me the intended crime the only racially motivated side here... this is a mess, its ugly & turning into something that its not... I hope they find the guilty person, i also hope they find justice for jennika also, that murder was last year, that girl was innocent as they come. basically everyone deserves justice, its always tragic when someone young is taken suddenly. it doesn't have to be a race issue to be just as tragic & deserve the justice & due diligence that every crime should have.
I really hope Elijah wasn't allowed to sit in with the family when they met with the D.A. By the looks of the photos released by Lost Coast, he very well could have.... Big mistake....
ReplyDelete