officerinvolved

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Six months after a fatal officer-involved shooting in Fortuna, the parents of the man killed are filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the city seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Fortuna City Manager Regan Candelario said Friday he was unable to comment, as his office had not received a copy.
The Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office has yet to determine if the March 16 shooting of Jacob Newmaker was justified, or if charges will be brought against either of the officers involved. District Attorney Paul Gallegos said this week that he expects a decision will be made soon.
Fortuna Police Chief Bill Dobberstein said he’s hoping the district attorney’s office will issue a determination on the shooting next week and that it will bring some closure to the incident.
”I’m assuming everything’s going to be OK,” Dobberstein said.
An administrative review by the Fortuna Police Department found the officers’ actions were appropriate under the circumstances, and they have returned to duty.
According to the department, Officer Maxwell Soeth and Sgt. Charles Ellebrecht were responding to a call of a man screaming in the front yard of a Fortuna home when they attempted to subdue Newmaker with verbal commands, pepper spray, baton strikes, control holds and a Taser, all of which were unsuccessful.
Officials have not released the name of the officer who fatally shot Newmaker after he reportedly took one of the officers’ batons

and began striking him with it.
A representative for attorney Dale K. Galipo, who is representing Newmaker’s parents, said that the lawsuit was sent to a federal court in San Francisco this week and a court clerk confirmed Friday it was being registered with a Thursday filing date.