As community anger in response to a forcible arrest on October 8 by Arcata Police Department officers spilled over into the Arcata City Council chambers last week, nearly twenty residents spoke during the public comment period demanding corrective action from the city council, decrying the actions taken by police that were seen in the bystander videos that circulated follow-up the incident. While charges for resisting arrest are pending, the Arcata Police Department is undergoing an internal “Use of Force Review” as a standard procedure when force is implemented by officers.
After being informed that he was in violation of several municipal codes while attempting to operate a public BBQ station, witnesses say 21-year-old Michael Steelman, a young black man, was seen disassembling the pop-up and “quietly minding himself” following the first interaction with the officer on foot patrol. (The full witness account is provided below.)
