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 inn 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 and 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 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. Peer 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.

I have night mares every night of the fire, knowing my son was being tormented, and knowing he was dying in front on my eyes, It is hard to bear.  Myself , family and friends have been gathering all evidence in this case, and will be suing all parties who murdered my son..

My next step is to go to congress to have the mentally ill people taken completely out of the criminal justice system and focus more on prevention of mental illness instead of punishing and murdering those that are ill.

I also firmly believe that any officer, Sheriff, or SWAT team member that murders a person for no reason should go to prison, that is something I will be fighting for in congress as well.

What I am asking is that any person that can help in this case, or who have lost a loved one wrongfully, please help me and my family bring justice and change the laws.