According to Humboldt County forest activists, Monday November 28th,
2000 was just another day for deputies of the Humboldt County Sheriff\'s Department.

Humboldt County Sheriff\'s deputies at a remote
logging protest in the Mattole River watershed failed to protect
citizens from homicidal threats (\"if you don\'t get out - you\'re
gonna get get killed\") and behaviors (felling trees towards
protesters and cutting trees on which protesters placed their hands or
other body parts) on the part of loggers acting under the auspices of
Pacific Lumber (according to forest activists in the county).

The situation described above is all too familiar to those who
remember the murder of David \"Gypsy\" Chain by a tree felled by a PL
employee in the fall of 1998. The employee made his homicidal threat
- while facing in the direction of his victim - within minutes before
he felled the tree which killed David Chain.

When contacted on the evening of Monday,
November 28th, personnel in the Humboldt County Sherriff\'s office -
after consultation with the watch commander - stated that no one in the
department was aware of the aforementioned activities, noting that \"the
only way we get informed if is someone gets arrested\". [The Sheriff\'s
employee did not discuss the procedures for recording \"incidents\" involving
protesters killed by PL\'s loggers prior to formal arrest - of the
protesters, that is.]

The deputies\' reported negligent failure to protect citizens
appears to be in flagrant violation of 42 USC 1983, according to
interested attorneys. Pursuant to this section of the US Code, the
identity(ies) of the commanding officer(s) of the relevant departmental
force(s) involved at the time of action as well as the identity(ies) of
the commander(s) of the relevant officer(s) on site are useful in
establishing liability on the part of persons and/or jurisdictions which
fail to exercise their \"Duty of Care\" [eg, mitigating risk of death to
observers and/or protesters from trees felled in their direction by loggers making
homicidal and/or terroristic threats].

Both the Sheriff\'s Department employee and the California
Highway Patrol official with responsibility for the region denied awareness
of the circumstances surrounding the November 28th protests against PL\'s depredations
in the Mattole watershed. Both parties also denied awareness of any complicity - by
omission or commission - on the part of Humboldt County Sheriff deputies in the attempted
homicides on the part of PL employees reported by forest activists in the county.

While denying any awareness of the homicidal statements and behaviors reportedly
conducted by PL employees in the presence of Sheriff\'s Department personnel (after all,
no PL employees were arrested), the Department\'s dispatcher was able to provide the name
of the employee who could answer questions about the Department as of 8AM local time
on Tuesday, November 29th.

To express questions or concerns about the safety of protesters and/or observers
in the Mattole after 8AM, one may reach Sgt. Jimenez at 707-268-3638. Those who wish
to discuss the Humboldt County Sheriff\'s Department reported willingness to observe
(without intervention) homicidal and/or terroristic threats - as well as homicidal
behavior - while in uniform may wish to contact the US Marshals at 213-894-2485.

Media outlets may also find the activities above to be of
interest - at least no \"chad\" are involved!

To thwart those who threaten murder on behalf of Charlie
Hurwitz/PL and those - in uniform or out - willing to abet them,
consider contributions ($/gear/your self) to the Mattole Defenders....
....their number is (707) 441-3828. If they are busy, one can also call
activists at North Coast Earth First:

NCEF!,
P.O. Box 28,
Arcata, CA 95518
(707) 825-6598 ph/
(707)825-7996 fax/
 ncef@humboldt1.com

Although the forests\' worth is beyond measure,
Charlie Hurwitz doesn\'t merit toejam - much less another life while
he pays off the costs from the S&L and pension fund he looted.
When it comes to Hurwitz, resistance is fertile! Please help it
grow....call and donate to save the Mattole.