J-Bird Apprehended by US Marshal Task Force
By ALLIE HOSTLER and SCOTTIE LEE MEYERS, Two Rivers Tribune
Three months after the killing of Willow Creek man, Darrell Hanger Sr., the fourth and final suspect was apprehended on Monday afternoon near milemarker 16 on state route 169.
Bruce Jason Stallings-Hunsucker, aka J-Bird, was spotted driving a motorcycle by a U.S. Marshal-led task force in the downriver area between Martin’s Ferry and Johnson’s near Moore’s Rock.
According to a press release and interview with the U.S. Marshal’s office, Hunsucker became aware that a task force of about eight people in several cars was following him. The task force initiated a stop and Hunsucker tried to avert the arrest by crashing his motorcycle and hiding in some nearby bushes.
The task force established a perimeter and closed in on Hunsucker.
Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force formed a joint task force with Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Probation, and the California Department of Corrections and their Fugitive Apprehension Team to initiate a search for Hunsucker.
“It’s a common thing for us to assist local police departments on this,” U.S. Marshal Deputy MIchael Dyke said from his San Francisco office during a phone interview Monday afternoon. “Especially homicides, robberies and sex offenders. It’s not unusual for U.S. Marshals to adopt a case like this.”
Dyke said he could not comment on whether or not information about Hunsucker’s whereabouts was tipped or whether or not a reward would be awarded.
Dyke said Hunsucker sustained minor injuries during the apprehension on Monday, and that he would likely need to be cleared medically prior to being booked into the Humboldt County Jail.
In a previous interview published in the Two Rivers Tribune, Hunsucker said he believed he sustained four bullet wounds, one of which he believed to be an exit wound, during the incident that occurred at 480 Sunset Place in Willow Creek on May 5.
Over the past three months numerous reports of Hunsucker’s whereabouts turned up as dead ends. He was reportedly seen in Pecwan, Weitchpec, Orleans, Hoopa and Eureka while he was on the run.
The other three suspects are being held on a laundry list of charges that range from Murder in the first degree to being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The pre-trial for Jackson Surber, Sonia Hunsucker and Samantha Machado is scheduled to begin on October 18, 2011 at 2pm.
BELOW IS THE PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE US MARSHALS on MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Supervisory Deputy Michael Dyke August 1, 2011 415-436-7658 U.S. Marshals/Humboldt Sheriff Joint Task Force Arrest Homicide Suspect San Francisco, Ca. – U.S. Marshal Don O’Keefe announces the August 1, 2011 arrest of Bruce Jason Stallings-Hunsucker . Stallings-Hunsucker is wanted for the May 2011 Willow Creek home burglary which developed into a fatal shooting that killed Darrell Hangar Sr. Stallings-Hunsucker was one of four suspects in the case and was the last suspect still at large. Deputy U.S. Marshals from the Northern District of California frequently work in concert with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Humboldt County Probation. The U.S. Marshals Service is the primary federal agency conducting fugitive investigations throughout the United States and on a daily basis, arrests fugitives in cases that range from a few hours old to cases that are over 30 years old. The U.S. Marshals Service regularly works in concert with other federal state and local law enforcement agencies to seek out and arrest violent fugitives and sex offenders and has established task forces throughout the nation to facilitate the apprehension of fugitives. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov |
Thanks to the the US Marshals for getting the job done, and shame on HSO and the tribal(wannabe)police. Now the courts can sort through this and hopefully hold some of them accountable.