"I saw smoke and blue lights to my left, a lady was holding a baby and was scared. I saw a truck crashed at the intersection."

 

Humboldt Superior Court Judge Steven Steward is presiding over Brandon and Jesse Widmark's jury trial. Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees is the prosecutor for the trial. Ms. Andrea Sullivan represents Jesse Widmark. Ms. Rebecca Linkous is Brandon Widmark's attorney.

The People's witnesses in the last couple of days are the deputies who pursued the Widmark brothers as they fled all over Eureka on April 18, 2023 terrifying those in the truck with them which include a baby, damaging property and endangering the community.

HCSO Deputies Raleigh Willoughby, Chad Crotty, Luke Mathieson and HCSO Sgt. Conan Moore were all at Harris and Dolbeer when the suspects were finally apprehended. All officers involved were cleared of wrongdoing.

Today, Sgt. Moore was expected to testify. 

If you read my blog, I have done a few posts on Moore about lawsuits, settlements, excessive force and being involved in other OIS. My personal opinion of Sgt. Moore is different than the two other deputies mentioned above. However, in this instance, Sgt. Moore's actions in any other incidents are irrelevant. 

Brandon and Jesse Widmark created a dangerous situation, pointed weapons at law enforcement, endangered civilians and it is time for them to show they have a pair, own up to what they did and take the consequences.

I cannot recall any interaction with Deputy Crotty before seeing him testify. He is a co-defendant with Sgt. Moore in one lawsuit. I have reported on that Greenleaf Nurseries lawsuit.

I know Deputies Mathieson and Willoughby from the courthouse and the field and think highly of them. They have been commended. 

Yesterday, Deputy Crotty testified. Ms. Linkous only had one question for him. Ms. Sullivan had none. After Deputy Crotty's testimony on 2/27, you could hear a pin drop in the courtroom. The jurors had no questions for him. 

You may have watched the video HCSO released but it isn't the same as sitting in a courtroom with the one of officers involved describing the scene and the man who got shot, Jesse Widmark, shaking his leg and body uncontrollably. 

Deputy Crotty testimony gave a rare insight into the anxiety and trauma officers experience when they have to shoot someone pointing a gun at them and in an area where innocent civilians are around. 

Deputy Crotty didn't look at Brandon and Jesse Widmark except for a brief second to identify Jesse Widmark. I have seen witnesses do this but never law enforcement. 

You had to be in the courtroom to fully grasp what it was to watch a grown man; a law enforcement officer fight back tears as he answered Mr. Rees' questions about what happened and watch the video. I could tell it had an impact on the jurors.

At 3:30 on April 18, 2023, Sgt. Moore told Deputy Crotty "he was going to back Deputy Willoughby in a pursuit." Deputy Crotty volunteered to go with him. Sgt. Moore drove his white truck. They left the HCSO Annex office, "took Myrtle Avenue to Hubbard Lane to westbound Harris, then went to Harris and Dolbeer."

"I saw smoke and blue lights to my left, a lady was holding a baby and was scared. I saw a truck crashed at the intersection." 

Sgt. Moore stopped the truck. "I see subject with a rifle crouching down. The subject takes a shooting stance, raises his head up. The rifle was right above where blue lights were. I thought he was going to shoot someone. The subject paused as if to steady the rifle."

"I heard Sgt. Moore say gun, gun, gun. I said drop the fucking gun. The subject is behind the red truck and levels the gun at Sgt. Moore."

Deputy Crotty said he "drew my gun and discharged my weapon out the open window of the passenger seat. Sgt. Moore fired his weapon from the rear window of the passenger seat."

"Were you scared?" Mr. Rees asked Deputy Crotty.

"Yeah," he responded. "With the rifle pointed at me, there was no time for a precision shot."

Deputy Crotty stopped firing "when subject fell. He had been hit and placed the rifle in front of him."

Deputy Crotty saw the driver of the red truck when he gave Jesse Widmark the command to drop the gun. He did not have any interactions with the other person. "Just saw silhouette."

The driver of the truck from other witnesses, testimony and investigation was Brandon Widmark.

Deputy Crotty "believed he hit Jesse Widmark "5 or 6 times." Later, he found out it was "14 times."

Deputy Crotty's body cam "accidentally got activated" when he stepped out of Sgt. Moore's truck.

Jurors also saw that body cam footage.

After Jesse Widmark is shot, you hear deputies say, "Do not move! Do not move!"

Jesse is whimpering and saying, "I can't breathe. I have asthma."

Jesse, "Can I sit up?"

"Stay still," the deputies say as they are rendering aid and also trying to cuff him.

"It hurts to breathe," Jesse says.

"Stay still," one of the deputies.

"I am trying," says Jesse.

He asked Deputy Crotty "to end him. This is how I go." Deputy Crotty said, "I couldn't believe he said that."

"You are trained to stop threat, then render aid," said Mr. Rees.

"Yes, that is what we did."

Eureka Police Chief Brian Stephens who was the most senior officer at the scene told Deputy Crotty "to step back and not render aid." Deputy Crotty said EPD Chief Stephens asked this of all LE who were involved in the OIS. He was making sure protocols were being followed since this was an OIS.

It is almost two years later, Deputy Crotty said he thinks about this incident multiple times. He teared up talking about," what do I tell my kids. I sleep but it is not good." Deputy Crotty had some mental health counseling after this OIS.

Previous post:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2025/02/if-we-go-to-prison-we-can-stick.html?m=1

*I am no longer listing every previous post on the trial or all the posts I have done on this case. They can be accessed via the search feature.**