A large law enforcement and emergency medical response converged on the Willits area Thursday evening following a reported use-of-force incident involving Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputies. The incident occurred in the 2000 block of Hearst-Willits Road, near its intersection with Bray Road, on the eastern edge of Little Lake Valley.
According to initial information, deputies deployed two tasers on a subject described as resistant. The man lost vital signs shortly afterward. Despite the use of Narcan and roughly 20 minutes of CPR, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The situation began around 7:00 p.m., when Mendocino County deputies responded to a request for assistance from the California Highway Patrol. Scanner traffic indicates a person driving a quad along Hearst-Willits Road had picked up a hitchhiker, and a physical altercation reportedly ensued shortly after.
The first arriving deputy radioed, “I’m out with one confirmed hostile, we need another unit.” Despite the arrival of a second deputy, the subject reportedly remained “uncooperative,” prompting two consecutive taser deployments.
Soon after, deputies reported the man was “non-responsive” and called for emergency medical aid with a Code 3 designation. Multiple doses of Narcan were administered and CPR was initiated. An air ambulance was requested, additional deputies were dispatched from Ukiah, and CPR efforts continued for approximately 20 minutes before the subject was declared dead by 7:45 p.m.
Around the same time, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office issued a public alert advising of “Law Enforcement activity in the Willits area,” and announced that “Road [is] closed both ways at Hearst-Willits Rd and Bray Rd. Please avoid the area.”
Sheriff Matt Kendall told MendoFever the department is actively managing the situation, and that investigators from the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office have been assigned to conduct an investigation.
UPDATE 6/6/2025 2:10 p.m.:
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office published the following press release regarding the incident:
On 06-05-2025 at approximately 07:02 P.M., the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) who requested Sheriff’s Office assistance for a call in the 2000 block of Hearst Willits Road in Willits, California.
CHP informed the Sheriff’s Office of a call they received regarding a hitchhiker who was picked up by a motorist in the area and the subjects were now involved in a physical fight. CHP Officers were responding to the call with an extended response time and Willits Police Department (WPD) Officers were also requested to assist. This investigation revealed the male subject had brutally assaulted the driver of the vehicle after he was offered a ride and entered the vehicle. This assault was unprovoked and resulted in injuries that caused the driver to be admitted into a local hospital.
A Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Deputy responded to the area and contacted a male adult subject walking in the middle of the roadway in the 1200 block of Hearst Willits Road. The male subject failed to comply with the lawful orders of law enforcement and immediately took a fighting stance and lunged at the Deputy. The Deputy pointed his department-issued Taser device at the subject while ordering the male to comply and surrender.
The Deputy moved away from the male in the roadway and attempted to speak with him and de-escalate the situation. The Deputy continued to employ de-escalation tactics that were ignored by the male.
The male subject fled along the north side of the roadway when a Sheriff’s Sergeant arrived to assist. The male subject ran into the brush north of the roadway as Sheriff’s Office personnel continued to order him to surrender. Multiple warnings were provided to the male subject that he would be Tased if he did not comply with their orders. During the attempts to lawfully arrest the male subject, Sheriff’s Office personnel utilized Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray.
The male subject moved onto his stomach, so Sheriff’s Office personnel attempted to place the subject in handcuffs. The male subject physically resisted attempts to place him into handcuffs and assaulted a Deputy so a Taser was deployed to overcome the resistance and arrest the individual.
Willits Police Department Officers arrived as Sheriff’s Office personnel continued to inform the male he was under arrest and ordered him to comply with the arrest.
Sheriff’s Deputies and WPD Officers removed the male from the brush and continued to attempt and place him into handcuffs as the male physically resisted. Law Enforcement personnel were able to eventually handcuff and arrest the male subject.
The male subject was monitored at the scene after being arrested and Law Enforcement personnel determined the male became unresponsive. Restraints were removed from the male as Law Enforcement provided emergency medical treatment at the scene. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated by Law Enforcement personnel as emergency medical assistance was requested.
Law Enforcement personnel administered Narcan on the male subject and CPR was continued for approximately 5 minutes when emergency medical personal arrived at the scene. Fire and EMS personnel continued life-saving efforts, to include CPR and other emergency medical treatment. Life-saving efforts continued for approximately 25 additional minutes until the male subject was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene.
Since the male subject was in the custody of law enforcement and died during the incident, the County-Wide Fatal-Incident Protocol was initiated. The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and is the lead agency for this ongoing investigation.
A coroner’s investigation was initiated, and a post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the official cause and manner of death. The decedent has been identified as a 36-year-old male from Willits, CA, but his name is not being released at this stage of the investigation.
Pursuant to Sheriff’s Office Policy, the two Sheriff’s Office personnel involved in this incident have been placed on paid administrative leave while this matter is being investigated.
Investigations are continuing regarding the crimes committed against the motorist who provided the subject a ride.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip-line at 707-234-2100. Any information provided regarding this continuing investigation will be forwarded to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office as the primary investigating agency.
This is terribly sad! My husband and I heard the ambulance go by as we just live down the street from there and wondered what was happening. I have to wonder if I know this person.
Considering the circumstances, there should be an outside investigation.
This is the opportunity for Matt Kendall to show he’s different than Tom Allman by releasing the body cam footage and being honest about the death of a Willits man in sheriff’s custody. Tom hid the 2014 jail death video for 5 years and stalled long enough to be re-elected. Then he released an annotated and subtitled digital monstrosity on his lawyer’s Dropbox page. Then he resigned abruptly after sucking eggs in court and paying out 5 million. Hopefully Matt can do better, be honest and still retire asap. New leadership is essential.
They been using unnecessary force all the time it’s time for them to be held accountable ????
Jump to conclusions much? Key board warriors acting like experts.
If it’s all the same to you, please don’t taser me and spray narcan up my nose. I might sometime be a smidgen impaired, not illegally, but I am a peaceable guy and a law abiding citizen. Many thanks.
We see burned out weirdos wander all over because of meth and dope. Everyone sees it and complains about it. Then one of these guys goes into full blown psychosis and dies fighting with the cops and we want to blame the cops? That’s what’s crazy.
Trust me I’ve had plenty of run ins with ukiah cops and some cops in lake county. I spent a couple nights in the slammer. It wasn’t because I was just minding my own bizzz and being a Boy Scout. As soon as I quit doing the crap I was doing, I seem to have become invisible to the cops. Funny how that works.
Well said Localboy.
Been there and done that myself more than half a century ago.
Attitude makes all of the diffirence in the world when it comes to LEOS!
Even with those that may have a short fuse or just having a F@#$%d up day or night.
Couldn’t agree more. I spent a couple nights in that county hotel when Tuso was the sheriff. All the cops in there were ready to visit or to fight, it seemed to be my choice as to which.
Got a sisters kid working in there now he tells me it’s pretty much still the same.
Hey let’s do a test:
Let a couple deputies tase you, pepper spray you and then cuff you face down while one of them kneels on your back to calm you down. Think you’ll be able to breathe ok? Think Narcan will save you after you stop breathing? Even if you’re not on opioids?
Not even the point cops duties are to protect and serve everybody u dont know the full story dont say anything the cops sre corrupt around here thars your opionon but he was my friend and he has a son come on man
Why narcan him after he was tased twice? Not understanding this??????? Unless narcan jumps start your heart after being tazed. Didn’t see anywhere about overdose.
It’s called a CYA tactic. The deputies can claim that they were pretty sure that his heart stopped because of drugs and not because they tased him, pepper sprayed him and hog tied him face down. Hard to breathe if you’re cuffed behind your back with a face full of OC and a taser jolt still coursing through your body. But it must have been an unknown quantity of opioids! Must have!
Shame on you with your “holier than thou” attitudes. Speaking on something you know absolutely nothing about. Did you know this man? Have you ever seen how he is with his kids? Or how good he treats his dog and how much his dog loves him? Have you ever been stuck on the side of the road miles from anywhere and every single person u call can’t help, but then this guy only hears that your stuck and uses the little gas he has to come save you complete with a jacket, and some bottles of water???? Have u ever seen the way his face lit up when talking about something he was passionate about? Did you know he wanted so much more out of life than he was given, but lacked the communication skills and/or confidence to pursue his dreams? While your over there on your high horses, I’m over here like not just “shaming on you” but feeling sorry for you because you won’t ever get the chance to know him, and I am am so honored that he called me friend.
Sorry for loss, I only met him once through my daughter. It’s a very devastating time for his family. Hopefully truth comes out.
That’s probably one side but the guy he assaulted and got put in the hospital is a friend of mine he has a different feeling about him.
So what idea about him warrants taking his life? I know who your friend is and let me just say that not one of us can say we haven’t at one time or another done stupid shit, only there was always somebody there to make sure we made it home regardless of who got punched in the nose or not. It’s a sad day when the cops are involved and and it has to end in a tragedy like this. Your friend wasn’t just somebody picking up a hitchhiker just like my friend wasn’t just a hitchhiker and last time I checked we were all friends so I don’t even know what to say about that.
I’m so freaking saddened by this. Nick was a lical soul. “aught up in mMendo lufe n culture. His mom taught school. Played in t he creeks n baseball feilds. Probably teammates of the deputies that took him out at one point. Dead within a few minutes of contact. Where the hell was the crisis team? It was high was school graduation night. Never called EMS until way too late. Narcan ass covering. This is beyond disgusting behavior from our Sheriff’s
Department. They we ill keep pumping out justifications for their actions twisting the story each time. Lord help us all.
2 things can be true at once.
The cops can be corrupt AND this man was behaving badly.
The cop already used a taser instead of a gun.
The man attacked someone. What should cops do? Just get the call and go watch?
It was not as told. It was people all well known to each other. There must be a comprehension problem. Gave him a ride turns in to “picked up a hitchhiker” That twisting of words far too common today. So you mean? No…I mean what I said.
So the guy who got his face busted up is ok with that? Like were they friends so it’s ok to attack him? If that’s true why did the cops get called?
Autopsy report, body cam footage, and victim statement might go a long way to putting this to rest. Too bad for all concerned.
*Police kill man with a taser
There I fixed it for you