I read about his arrest and it pissed me off. Why?

 

(Watson's booking photo)

In addition to his arrest on August 1, Arcata Mayor Brett Watson has a conviction from 2020 for speeding.

There are several rideshares available in Humboldt, several taxi cab services and does Watson not have a single friend he could have reached out to instead of "allegedly" driving under the influence?

A regular reader of my blog summed up how many people feel.

"I am a huge advocate of ridesharing programs as you know. I think I watched Brett Watsons' ass getting stopped on 101.

Lyft driving wasn’t making me any money so I switched to DoorDash (which is the beauty of these programs, the ability to flip flop on a moment’s notice) and was coming back to Eureka from Arcata. I saw the “party lights” and CalTrans and everyone were setting up their night crews. Then I go past this vehicle. 

I read about his arrest and it pissed me off. Why? I just drove past the guy, and I could have saved him from a nightmare he’s in right now. In afterthought and hopefully forethought for others, please call a cab or find us rideshare people. Not many of us up in Humboldt, but we exist. I could have easily gotten him home safe. I was right there."

On August 1,  Watson was arrested for HS 11364 (a) posession of opium pipe or any drug paraphernelia for ingesting/smoking a controlled substance, HS 11350 (a) possession of  a controlled substance and VC 23152(G), driving under the combined influence of drugs and alcohol. 

On August 2, the City of Arcata issued this statement:

On the night of Sunday, August 1, Arcata Mayor Brett Watson was detained and cited for driving under the influence. The arrest resulted when the California Highway Patrol were conducting a controlled traffic stop on L.K. Wood Boulevard.

In a statement made today, Mayor Watson shared his initial response to the arrest:

“Last week was the one year anniversary of my father’s death. He was severely depressed and took his own life. I’ve really been struggling with the loss this last week. I appreciate the community’s patience while I sort through the impact his death has had on me and the events of Sunday night. I take full responsibility for the results of the arrest while recognizing the importance of seeking treatment to support my mental health.”

Previous post:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-look-when-chp-officer-chris.html?m=1