IN HOOPA, June 4, 2007
A mentally ill man WHO COMMITTED NO CRIME, Peter
Stewart, was murdered on June 4, 2007 by out of control
police who shot 50 rounds of tear gas into his house and
then when one of the rounds caught on fire, watched the
house burn down with Peter in it. Fire trucks were sitting
in the driveway and Peter’s friends from school who are
firemen begged the SWAT team to allow them to put out
the fire. Peter was found dead in the bathtub naked and
wrapped in sheets where he had apparently tried to ease
the pain of the burns from the teargas. His family was never
allowed to talk to him. Keep in mind that Peter Stewart
had committed no crime, nor was he accused of a crime.
September 7, 2007 Rally at the Capitol, Sacramento
Remarks made by Jacqueline Marshall-Alford
Grieving Mother of Peter Stewart
Hupa Tribal Member
Hello, My name is Jacqueline Marshall-Alford, I am a
Hupa Tribal member, I reside on the Hupa reservation. I
want to talk about what happened to my son Peter Stewart
on June 4th on this year, in Hoopa.
Peter was harmless he was loved by all, he would give
the shirt off his back, and money in his pocket to anyone
that needed it. He gave food and a place to stay for
any one in need. His death was a heart breaking shock
to the entire community and many other communities as
knew him.
On June 3rd an ambulance was called to take my son
Peter Stewart back to Semprevirens mental hospital in
Eureka, he had been released two days early and was
not stabilized. An ambulance never came, what happened
was police came flying into the yard where Peter
was, brandishing weapons and holding a gun to his
head, the witness said Peter Said “What did I do”, the
officer said “nothing”, Peter got scared, he threw out a
butter knife in the dirt and ran back inside. Peter has Bi-
Polar 2, which is Bi-Polar with Schizophrenia. The officer
continued to use brutal language, by the time I was
called by a neighbor, I drove up to Bald Hills, the sheriff’s
from Eureka were there and refused to let me in, I
pleaded with them “Please all Peter needs is to hear my
voice, he will be okay”, they refused and made me back
my car down the drive way. That is where I stayed for
that day, that night and the next day.
More and more Sheriffs came, along with Eureka Police
Department and Pelican Bay SWAT team, it was
scary, I know my son was scared to death seeing 100
armed officers pointing guns at the house, with his disorder,
of course he wouldn’t come out, he knew they
would gun him down, and make up a lie of why they
had to shoot him. During the night SWAT team made
comments on their radios in which we heard that they
seen Peter making a sandwich, drinking juice and
watching T.V. and falling asleep around 5a.m This to
me is no one who is going to harm anyone. June 4th
came, they began shooting tear gas in the home, they
shot 50 rounds of tear gas in the home, we heard it, and
the entire Hoopa community heard it on their scanners
and counted them.
While they were shooting off the tear gas, I told my
niece who was with me, my husband and my youngest
son-they are shooting off guns too, I can hear it, when
they shoot off the tear gas they are shooting off rounds
of ammunition. About the 40th round was when that
tear gas was more flammable, it is the one that caught
the house on fire. They stood and watched the house
burn up with my son in it. Standing by was three fire
trucks from Hoopa Fire Department, but the SWAT
team refused them entrance. While the house was burning
the SWAT team that was brandishing weapons on
me & my family laughed while the house was burning.
My son Peter was found after the fire trucks were finally
admitted in towards the end of the fire. He had
taken his clothes off to get wet in the bath tub to get the
tear gas burns off of hi, Peter wanted to live, I know my
son, he wouldn’t [hurt] anyone, not even those evil people
tormenting him on that awful day. Peter was found
wrapped in wet sheets in the bath tub. The SWAT team,
Sheriffs, and Eureka Police Department tried to cover it
up and say Peter started the fire, but we all know that is
a lie. Peter wouldn’t have been trying to save himself
and get the burns from tear gas off of him if he built the
fire. After my son was taken by the coroner, friends
looked through the remains of the home, they found the
bullet holes riddled through the home. I was never
given the opportunity to speak to my son, nor was any
negotiator, they lie about that, it was heard all over
Hoopa on the scanners their evil language to my son.
My family is having a hard time dealing with the loss of
Peter. Peter was my oldest son, I had four sons, Peter
had two other brothers from his father, so there was a
total of 6 Stewart boys, now there are 5.
STOP POLICE TERRORISM
Please contact Redwood Curtain CopWatch:
(707) 633-4493
copwatchrwc@riseup.net