Man involved in hostage situation behind bars, No bail

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. (KIEM) – A man is arrested and charged with false imprisonment after he held a woman against her will and threatened to kill her, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

The saga began at about 7 p.m. Friday night when Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 1600-block of Fisher Avenue in Mckinleyville for a report of a domestic disturbance.

When deputies arrived 30-year-old Jesse David BruckLacher, refused to open the door and began yelling at deputies out of a window.

Brucklacher told deputies that he had a firearm, and said he would use it on the 26-year-old female victim – before barricading himself inside the home, preventing the victim from leaving, according to HCSO.

Humboldt County SWAT, The Humboldt County Crisis Negotiation Team and The HCSO Bearcat were deployed in an attempt to rescue the victim and negotiate a peaceful surrender.

A few hours later, the victim was able to escape from a window – after about four more hours of negotiations, a search warrant was obtained.

Deputies were able to determine BruckLacher’s location inside the home with the assistance of a robot. 

SWAT deputies deployed tear gas into the residence before Brucklacher surrendered to deputies.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, neither deputies, Brucklacher nor the public were injured during this incident. The female victim, however, sustained minor injuries from Brucklacher.

Brucklacher was treated on scene for exposure to tear gas and then booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of false imprisonment, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse and resisting arrest, and is currently being held without bail.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office crime tip line at (707) 268-2339.