June 4, 2007
On June 3rd, 2007 an ambulance was called to take Peter Stewart, a Hupa man, back to Sempervirens mental hospital in Eureka. Peter had been released two days earlier and was not stabilized. An ambulance never came. Instead, police came to Hoopa, flying into the yard where Peter was; police brandishing weapons and holding a gun to his head.
Peter ran into the house. Humboldt Sheriff’s refused to let Peter’s mother close to the house or to her son. During the night, SWAT made comments on their radios about seeing Peter make a sandwich, drink juice, watch TV, and fall asleep.
On June 4th officers of the Sheriff’s Dept, Eureka Police, and SWAT began shooting tear gas in the home, 50 rounds of tear gas heard and counted by the entire Hoopa community on their scanners. Peter’s family & others also believed that officers were shooting ammunition with the tear gas. The Sheriff's, EPD, and SWAT stood and watched the house burn up- with Peter in it.
