TS - 09/12/2006 Witnesses from the First Day of the Moore Inquest

TS Witnesses from the First Day of the Moore Inquest 09/12/2006

Witnesses from the First Day of the Moore Inquest
The Times-Standard
TS Witnesses from the First Day of the Moore Inquest 09/12/2006

Day 1: Tuesday, Sept. 12
Craig Pasquini [Watch Testimony]
a case manager for Humboldt County Mental Health, testified he requested a welfare check for Cheri Lyn Moore after a 16 minute phone call. She said she had a flare gun, was not a terrorist, she was not suicidal and she was not homicidal, but was grieving over the loss of her son. Pasquini quoted her as saying she was going to blow up her apartment building and jump out the window, that she had warned neighbors and didn t want to hurt anybody. He said Moore talked about her landlord wanting sexual favors in lieu of rent. She said she was looking for help, that she wanted help, but I wasn t able to determine what kind, Pasquini testified.

Phyliss Wilner [Watch Testimony]
nurse in the Humboldt County Mental Health emergency psychiatric unit, described a distraught call from Moore about one hour after the first, saying she could see people in the hallway and she would shoot if they came in. Wilner said a co-worker called 911. She told Moore they were police. She was crying and very agitated, Wilner said.

Keziah Moss [Watch Testimony]
Eureka Police Department dispatcher, received two calls from mental health. Testified she tried to get information on Moore s mental health. Was told medicine Moore wanted was for neck pain. Moss said officers are dispatched to a lot of welfare checks.

Heather Gillespie [Watch Testimony]
EPD dispatcher, testified which officers first sent to scene. She said she sent out page calling the SWAT team.

Joseph Smith [Watch Testimony]
Moore neighbor, said police were surrounding building when he arrived home. Testified he ran into two officers at top of the stairs. One had gun pointed at Moore s door. Said he was allowed to go down hall to his apartment.

Diana Pullen [Watch Testimony]
whose daughter knew Moore, testified she was asked by a Marcus Smith to call Moore because he d seen police around her apartment. Said she did twice. Testified Moore said Smith should bring her a carton of cigarettes.

Michael Quigley [Watch Testimony]
EPD officer, testified he went to Moore s apartment Saturday before she was shot to talk about landlord issue. Said she was cordial. He saw a flare gun on her end table, but did not question Moore about it. Testified he and two other officers attempted to enter apartment on day of the shooting and one yelled she had a gun but he couldn t see in. Testified he heard her say later she wouldn t use gun unless they came in.

Kevin Lawson [Watch Testimony]
EPD officer, testified he and two other officers tried to get Moore to answer her door. They knocked, said they were police. Testified there was loud music. Said Moore pointed a gun at him and other officers when they tried to enter apartment using landlord s key after about 10 minutes. Said he briefed the chief and scene commander after backup arrived.

A.J. Bolton [Watch Testimony]
A former EPD officer, testified about being first officers at scene. Said they asked a neighbor to knock on Moore s door. Said they had dispatch try to reach Moore by phone. Testified it was very scary after they tried to open door with key and gun was pointed at them. Said he thought Moore was going to come out into the hall.

Charles Heuer [Watch Testimony]
Moore's landlord, testified how Moore was a ìgood tenantî at first but later the two had continuous run ins about the amount of people coming and going from her house, her loud music that affected business at his floral shop downstairs and the hand-written signs she posted in her window. He also described how he opened her apartment door for police and was told by police that she had a gun and to run.

Alisha Sidebottom [Watch Testimony]
Moore's sister-in-law, testified how Moore was known to have different medical conditions and that she had mood swings possibly linked to a post traumatic stress disorder. She said Moore was ìupset, wound up, bouncing around, excitedî when Sidebottom visited her a few days before the killing.

Glenda Thomas [Watch Testimony]
A caregiver to Moore's neighbor, testified how police tried to evacuate her, another caregiver and their patient from the building when the standoff escalated, but that because of their patientís condition they could not leave. She said she was familiar with Moore playing loud music, yelling and tossing things out her window. She testified how she knocked her patient, the caregiver and herself to the floor when she heard police break in Moore's door.

Tammy Henry [Watch Testimony]
The second caregiver in Moore's neighborís apartment. She testified how she knew Moore had obtained a flare gun to "protect herself" from "everything."

Jessica Rinder [Watch Testimony]
Moore's neighbor who lived across the hall from her. She testified that she would visit Moore from time to time and that Moore was a "pretty decent lady." She also said Moore was mentally ìunstableî and that she didnít think Moore would actually go through with some of the things she yelled out her window or talked to neighbors about. She said police asked her to knock on the door to get her to come out, but that Moore couldnít hear her. Rinder testified how the landlord opened the door and she was standing there while police and the landlord were around the corner. Moore asked her if she opened the door and she said it was the landlord. The door then slammed shut. She testified how Moore didnít have the flare gun in her hand when she saw her in the apartment.

John Rinder [Watch Testimony]
Moore's neighbor from the end of the hall, said he used to live in the apartment next to Moore's but had to move because of the music and yelling. He watched and listened as the SWAT team rammed open Moore's door and then fired, hearing someone say "rollover, this is just procedure." He immediately left his apartment and walked down the hall, passing police and getting a quick glimpse into the apartment. He didnít know Moore was dead until he was outside.

Marcus Smith [Watch Testimony]
Moore's friend, testified he was able to reach her by cell phone during the standoff but police ordered him not to talk to her. While talking to Moore he tried to convince her to come downstairs and talk to police. He said he felt an "energy" in the air and knew that Moore was going to be shot. He said once he was ordered to stop talking to her he left to go to work. Once in Arcata he was called by a mutual friend and asked to return to Eureka to deliver a pack of cigarettes to Moore. He said he gave the cigarettes to police and remained on scene until the shooting.

Todd Wilcox [Watch Testimony]
Eureka Police officer, was the SWAT team commander the day of the shooting. He testified about the command structure for the incident and the different options discussed by those in charge. He said he was at the apartment two days before for a call about a disturbance in the same apartment but it was decided not to do anything because the behavior was not abnormal for Moore. He testified about how SWAT members waited for word from one of the observers from across the street before acting. Once the observer stated Moore was at the window and both her hands were free. Once the word was given, the SWAT members rammed open the door and the shots were fired.