On November 22, Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance at the Chevron gas station on Central Ave. in McKinleyville. The incident involved a male subject who refused to leave and threatened a cashier with a knife.
Upon arrival, deputies encountered a man exiting the station. He surrendered his weapon and was detained for questioning. The employee reported that the suspect, identified as Eric Robert Thompson, 59, of McKinleyville, had been previously banned from the store due to erratic behavior. When Thompson returned, he was told to leave but instead threatened to kill the employee and threw a knife at them. The clerk managed to avoid being hit by moving out of the way.
Security footage from the business confirmed the employee’s account. Thompson was arrested without further incident.
He was transported and booked into Humboldt County Correctional Facility facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon (PC245(a)(1)) and threatening a crime with intent to terrorize (PC 422(a)).
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this case or related activities is urged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or their Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
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