Originally published as a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office press release:
“On 07-26-2022 at approximately 11:20 A.M., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a report of a subject discharging a firearm in a negligent manner on a piece of property in the 10000 block of Hearst Willits Road in Willits, California.
Upon their arrival, Deputies received information that Trevor Williams had unsafely discharged a firearm several times in the vicinity of a juvenile (who also lived on the property) in a manner that could possibly endanger her life.
It was also learned that Williams was the restrained person in a served restraining order, which therefore prohibited him from possessing firearms.
Deputies attempted to contact Williams at his gate near his residence but he became verbally hostile towards the Deputies.
Williams closed his gate and rode back to his residence on his ATV. Deputies were able to observe Williams as he began arming himself with several firearms.
Deputies began evacuating the other residents from the property for their safety due to these new developments.
Deputies then called for additional Sheriff’s Office personnel to respond to their location due to Williams hostile attitude and his arming himself with firearms to include a scoped high powered rifle and handguns.
This resource request included a negotiator, Sheriff Matthew Kendall, who Williams had personally requested a some point during the initial contact with Deputies.
Deputies monitored Williams from a distance while awaiting the additional Sheriff’s Office resources to include Sheriff Kendall for the purpose de-escalation efforts.
Deputies observed Williams collecting various items to include firearms, ammunition, and alcohol. He then placed these items on his ATV.
Upon the arrival of additional Deputies, Williams became even more verbally hostile towards the Sheriff’s Office personnel on scene.
After approximately ten minutes of Williams yelling at the Sheriff’s Office personnel on scene, he left his residence on his ATV and disappeared out into his 7,700 acre ranch.
At this time Sheriff’s Office personnel maintained their position(s) from a distance and did not advance or chase after Williams.
This was decided as a form of de-escalation efforts while the personnel awaited the arrival of Sheriff Kendall for the purposes of possible peaceful verbal negotiations with Williams.
A short time later, Williams was spotted low crawling through a creek bed in an attempt to flank the Sheriff’s Office personnel on scene.
Once he was spotted, Williams stood up and it was determined he was armed with three handguns and a scoped high powered rifle.
Williams took up a position of cover behind a piece of heavy machinery and began pointing his rifle towards the direction of the Sheriff’s Office personnel in what appeared to be an effort to acquire a target.
Williams was verbally commanded to drop his rifle several times before he finally complied and placed the rifle down and put his hands up in an apparent gesture of surrender.
Williams was then verbally commanded to come out of the field and walk towards the Deputies location with his hands up. Williams complied at first but then turned around and walked away from the Deputies.
A Deputy and a Sergeant then re-positioned themselves to intercept Williams as he again appeared to be trying to flank them.
Williams was contacted by the Sergeant and Deputy and given verbal commands to keep his hands up as he was still armed with three handguns in his waistband.
Williams complied and walked towards them with his hands up. Once he reached their position, an attempt to physically disarm Williams was conducted by the Sergeant.
Williams grabbed the Sergeants’ hand as he tried to remove the handguns from Williams’ waistband. Williams then grabbed one of the handguns from his waistband and also grabbed the Sergeants’ issued firearm.
A struggle for control of the firearms between the Sergeant and Williams ensued which resulted in the Sergeant maintaining control of his firearm and Williams handgun.
Williams continued to try to gain possession of the Sergeants’ firearm and maintain possession of his own handgun.
Williams was pinned against a fence during the struggle which allowed the other Deputy to remove all the handguns from Williams waistband and his right hand.
The other Deputies on scene soon thereafter joined the struggle and Williams was disarmed. Williams was taken into custody by being placed into handcuffs.
Williams was thereafter medically cleared at a local hospital and booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $500,000.00 bail.
A subsequently search warrant was served at Williams’ residence by Sheriff’s Detectives and Agents with the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force.
During the search, other firearms were sized in connection with Williams being legally prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of an active restraining order.”
