The Eureka Police Department has provided an update on an officer-involved shooting that took place on November 26, 2023. The incident occurred when an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with expired registration on M Street, north of 2nd Street. Upon stopping the vehicle, the right front passenger immediately fled on foot, running east along a walkway towards the northside of the Humboldt County Library. The officer did not pursue the individual.
Additional officers responded to the scene to search for the fleeing suspect. One officer located the suspect as he attempted to scale a fence on the north side of the Clara Mayberry Park, which was closed. The officer verbally commanded the suspect to stop, but he refused and a physical altercation ensued.
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A second officer arrived to assist, and during the altercation, the suspect produced a pistol. Shots were fired by the officers, striking the suspect. It is unclear if the suspect fired his handgun during the altercation. Despite life-saving efforts by the officers and Humboldt Bay Fire, the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Matthew Robert Williams, succumbed to his injuries.
Williams was found to be in possession of 42 grams of fentanyl, a large sum of money, and had outstanding felony warrants for his arrest. The firearm he possessed was determined to be a ghost gun, un-serialized and untraceable.
The officer who conducted the traffic stop left the scene to assist the officers involved in the shooting. The vehicle and its occupants were later located by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation.
The incident was captured on one officer’s body-worn camera, but the second officer’s camera malfunctioned and did not record the incident. All body-worn camera and audio footage will be released in accordance with state law.
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Both officers involved in the shooting sustained minor injuries and have been placed on paid Administrative Leave, as per department protocol. The multi-agency Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is handling the criminal investigation, which will later be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office. The Eureka Police Department has also initiated an Internal Shooting Review to assess compliance with departmental policy.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Eureka Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit or the District Attorney’s Office. The investigation remains ongoing.
