When off-duty Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Marsh asked a 10-year old girl to help light a firework, he knew the item was illegal. So says today’s Times-Standard.
Marsh apparently thought he had a type of firework — a Roman Candle, which are illegal in California — that send sparks and embers shooting into the air.
But that’s not what happened. Marsh lost “several fingers” in the blast that emitted from the explosive — whatever it was. The girl, Jessi Shinn, was left with only her pinkie. Both were holding the firework when it was lit thanks to Marsh’s boneheaded instructions.
Why would a law enforcement officer take an illegal firework to a family picnic? Why would he ask a child to help him light it? Where did he get it? What was he thinking?
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict terrible things will happen every 4th of July. Pets are lost or killed and people are maimed in order that Americans can celebrate the “bombs bursting in air” as they currently do in Iraq and Afghanistan courtesy of US taxpayers.
Often it’s drunk revelers or dumb, young, careless kids that cause firework mishaps. But a cop enlisting the help of a child to light an illegal firework while holding it in her hand is an amazing display of bad judgment. One wonders how such wisdom surfaced in his police work, or if it’s possible he was just having an extremely moronic day.
A fundraiser to help with Jessi’s medical bills will be held at the Fortuna HealthSport on Saturday from 2pm – 9pm. Details here.
I know and Times Standard wont even let people comment. Thanks HH.
Yes, I noticed comments are turned off on the T-S article.
Tragic! Dig deep good people, that poor little girl has a long and very expensive path to travel.
Marsh should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for felony child endangerment. As a police officer, I am ashamed that this Deputy would even think about conducting this type of behavior. As Officer’s, we should be held to the highest standards of conduct on and OFF duty.
My heart goes out to Jessi and her family.
FYI-He was canned from EPD a few years back. He was an idiot then and I guess things haven’t changed.
I can imagine the Times Standard had to cut off comments because of the creeps who were making light of this tragedy.
Illegal fireworks + illegal aliens = disaster. Thanks to Sun Valley Bulb Farm where many Mexican’s work, aquiring dangerous fireworks is very easy. Deputy Marsh should be responsible for paying ALL medical bills for the young girl.
You got that right, HiFi – T-S commenters are a piece of work!
The idea that illegal fireworks are being smuggled over the Mexican border by illegal aliens is absurd when they can be legally purchased in nearby states by our friends and families. But great attempt to scapegoat.
The original T-S discussion is here. That’s what happens when you’re too cheap to host your own discussion forums. You lose all control.
So, is the cop going to get prosecuted? Or maybe just a sweet plea deal from our DA? Hey, at least relieve him of his job upholding the law seeing as he only has one hand to do it with now.
It is a shame, but its not that shocking. Some of the best firework shows Ive ever seen where at Clam Beach watching rednecks blast of ridiculous mortars. I used to go to this place near my dad’s in WA on an indian reservation called “Ill Eagle” firewoks where you could get anything. There was a fantastic image of a sick eagle tangled up in a American flag with bombs and smoke in the background, rad indian humor!
Anyways, that sucks for the girl and her family, and the cop who you would think would know more about explosives. But cops are human just like you.
Stupid is as stupid does.
None of us has ever done anything stupid or criminal. We are filled with righteous anger at anyone who has done any such thing. No mercy!
Yes, I am being sarcastic.
But seriously, equal justice must be done no matter who is involved, or else respect for law goes down the toilet.
Let me add that burns are a horrible ordeal and for a child, especially, to suffer like this is heartbreaking.
Child Protective ServiceS – let’s see if the supes, Phillip Crandal and other “inside political pundits” will apply laws, processes, regulations, etc… equally; or, do we have yet another violation of the equal protection clause………?
Anyhow, who could ever think that law enforcement or any other enforcement type agency employs the best of the best of the best. Honestly, this guy might be one of the smarter deputies running around town. Then again, at least the other deputies have their trigger fingers ready and available! Maybe Mr. Fingerless can take over Brenda Godsey’s job? Yes, I have a sweet spot for certain types of deputies – dumbness and socially/politically abusive not withstanding.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Way to miss the issue. The issue is an adult did something knowingly dangerous and he brought a child into the danger as well. An adult shouldn’t bring a 10-year-old near explosive legal fireworks let alone illegal ones.
So, no, the vast majority of us are NOT that stupid. The vast majority of us have never done anything remotely like that. The vast majority of us do not endanger children. Shame on you and your apologist nature.
so why the four week lag time on this story?
No one sent the Times-Standard a press release to edit.
Seriously. If the cop had hired a publicist, he’d have total control over the story.
It’s worth noting that the news story probably was inspired by a press release because the focus of the story is about a fundraising event, not the status of any investigation that might be happening.
Why would the father of the child stand there and watch as his child participated in the lighting of illegal fireworks?
Why would anyone be in possession of illegal fireworks?
Most illegal fireworks are not that unsafe if you simply use your head. Those other states sell the relatively harmless kind.
This moron must have been using a M-80 to the 10th power. Closer to dynamite than a firecracker we all grew up with.
The Nanny State is so powerful, that in many counties in California even sparklers are outlawed as well as all the fireworks we can still buy in Humboldt County.
Sounds like he thought it was a Roman Candle. Even one of those shouldn’t be held or lit by a little kid. God- that poor kid.
wouldn’t it be a doozy of ironic justice if earlier the officer had hassled, fined and condescendingly lectured some poor sap over the safety of the fireworks that he confiscated, kept for himself and blew up a couple hands with.
The story I heard was he obtained the fireworks from an evidence locker.
People making comments about it on a blog when they know nothing of the details is about as negligent and stupid as I have seen.
I wish his training and his profession would have given him a brain cell. I am so sorry for this little girl, my heart just cries. He has probably, for the final time, ruined his own career. Not the brightest bulb in the box. Let’s all help Jessi the best we can. There are what?…150,000 residents in Humboldt County? If we each gave a buck or two, it would help in a profound way. Forget about who caused it, now it is all about the little girl. Shine on Jessi!
Actually Shirley, every year migrant Mexican farmworkers are picked up by Jesse Rapan (who you saw publicized recently in the NCJ’s “Los Hechados”) in San Diego (or so the company claims). So it is completely possible that someone in the entourage along the way could have crossed either state or national boarder to get those illegal fireworks. Not to mention the Mexicans stay in regular contact with their family back home as they send them money. I know this because I have talked to most of the Mexicans there about this.
I have a pretty good feeling that there is so much illegal stuff going on constantly throughout the county every year that the cops get used to it and don’t care to do anything about it.
Trouble with making things like normal run of the mill (in most of the world) fireworks illegal is that the citizenry then becomes ignorant as to what they are dealing with when these things become available on the black market. Maybe this guy could have been able to make a more educated and safer decision if he knew. This thing might have looked like a roman candle. It was probably dark also.
On another note firecrackers should not be held and that something I learned on my fathers knee. They often do things that they are not supposed to do. Once I lit something that was supposed to be a fountain and it blew up. I was not holding it but had just lit it and was backing away. I could not hear for a while and did not need to shave for a while. Lucky. All fireworks are dangerous and should be treated as such. Safe and sane maybe lets people get too complacent.
Poor kid. Please donate.
I don’t know who Shirley is, but what is entirely possible is not necessarily plausible. Most people buy illegal fireworks from friends in Oregon or Montana where they are legally sold on reservations. When you can legally buy the same fireworks in Oregon that they sell in Mexico, why would anyone smuggle them from Mexico? Drugs have a lower risk of being found and are much more profitable than fireworks.
Would it not be worth it to just leave her toe on her foot and get her a fancy prosthetic hand?
Reprehensible. Extraordinarily stupid. Tragic. Horrifying. And very, very sad.
lodgepole, I heard the same story, but wasn’t going to directly spread the gossip. BUUUUT since you already did it for me…
Anonymous on July 30, 2010 at 1:44 pm takes my words out of context and then attacks me as follows:
“Way to miss the issue. The issue is an adult did something knowingly dangerous and he brought a child into the danger as well. An adult shouldn’t bring a 10-year-old near explosive legal fireworks let alone illegal ones.
“So, no, the vast majority of us are NOT that stupid. The vast majority of us have never done anything remotely like that. The vast majority of us do not endanger children. Shame on you and your apologist nature.”
To Anonymous 1:44:
Don’t call ME stupid. YOU are the one without the decency or intelligence to read my two short posts to the end. YOU are the one who failed to understand the clearly-labeled sarcasm.
GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE, you ass, AND READ WHAT PEOPLE POST, if you have the capacity for thought and reason.
I CALLED FOR EQUAL JUSTICE. Did I have to spell it out for you that I meant people who endanger children should be prosecuted whether they are in or out of law enforcement?
YOU are the one too stupid to understand what I wrote. I did not apologize for the stupidity and neglegence of the adult in question. And I will not suffer your stupidity silently, either.
I don’t care if you DO have “anger management” issues. You are out of line.
It seems The Great Anonymous doesn’t enjoy being called out for his absurd misrepresentations. Your words are there, clear as crystal, for everyone to read. Nothing was taken out of context. You are struggling with reality.
Oh, woe, the world is “too stupid” to understand you. Uh huh.
Sorry Anon 1:44/10:51, but you ARE busted for quoting out of context. Why? Because you selectively quoted the part of TGA’s comments that might back up your interpretation of TGA’s comments as being “apologist” for the cop who was responsible for this tragedy, but somehow you failed to quote or acknowledge what immediately followed that passage:
“Yes, I am being sarcastic. But seriously, equal justice must be done no matter who is involved, or else respect for law goes down the toilet….Let me add that burns are a horrible ordeal and for a child, especially, to suffer like this is heartbreaking.”
No Reasonable Anonymous, it’s a reading comprehension fail on your part. My comment took into account his sarcasm, his viewpoint because he marked his prior statement as sarcasm, and that is what I criticized. Re-read it. If you still don’t understand it, call your mom into the room and have her explain it to you.
If this guy were working in Arizona, he could decide if you need citizenship papers or not.
I can see it now; “I’ll overlook that accent if you have some fireworks for me”.
I like liberty. We keep our liberty by being watchful over the police, and not allowing them to control everything.
Too bad for the little girl. Shame on her parents.
You accused TGA of being an “apologist” for the cop, but I see nothing in TGA’s remarks that justify such an interpretation. And you definitely quoted TGA out of context. It’s right there for any reader to see, so I’ll just leave it at that.
(A piece of free advice: Referring to other people’s mothers as a way of making a point is generally considered rude and immature, even when such reference is as irrelevant as yours was. Just something to consider for future reference.)
this is very sad
broken bodies suffering
my heart is aching
Roman Candles sometimes explode. My father had one blow up in his hand when he was a kid. It was a “legal” firework, and this was in another state where they were “legal”. They are “legal” in Washington and Nevada. Don’t ever hold Roman Candles, as they often go boom! It says right on every Roman Candle “Do Not Hold In Hand”. Now You Know.
Thank You 1:44 pm. Yours was the best anonymous comment EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JL
High Finance makes a very credible point as well!
Basically, we have a moron as a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy – nuff said.
Now, as for the child – too much trust for a sophisticated adult!
JL
4:55 pm,
the only thing negligient is the reported blowing off of fingers.
So, comments continue to abound, go figure that!
JL
High Finance typed:
So, the next time High Finance blathers on about pot, or about following the law, just remember that High Finance doesn’t actually care about law — “Nanny State” law — and thinks cops especially should just use their heads, not obey the law.
The Great Anonymous – Don’t use “vast majority” as you did in your example because the vast majority of adults are more than likely to endanger others. It is the greeds in life that cloud judjements that are not meerly dedicated to all things normal and unabusive.
The vast majority of societans that I see who have others that are in their care or confines are endangering, especially 1) on the road AND with 2) OVER-POPULATION. So, you have been proven inaccurate. Now, on to the military ilk, then the corporate ilk, the financial sector ilk, the bonding ilk, then government ilk, etc… Yep, your vast majority is widdled down to nearly nada, zilch, etc… when a few percentage points overall is not enough to apply to majority, then I guess we must find another way to form a hypothesis.
JL
Plain Jane and the other smuggling thoughts….
So, I wonder how much effort state border officials put into asking and searching whether or not a driver is importing something illegal from out-of-state?
Seems to me apples (fruit flys, beatles???) get to be a boring confiscation after awhile.
JL
Annon, 7.49am. You really missed the point.
Try harder next time.
Ever since I took the name “The Great Anonymous” certain sensitive souls have falsely assumed I am holding myself out as superior. (They seem to have missed the humor built into the title, which I thought was subtle but obvious. It’s an oxymoron!)
I think that’s why Anonymous 1:44 became enraged after reading only my first sentence and couldn’t see straight enough to understand the rest of my first post or any of my second post (as the reasonable anonymous thoughtfully points out).
Despite what 1:44 claims, I have NOT apologized for anyone who endangers children. To say that is to tell a really filthy falsehood based on a really hateful assumption and ignoring my plain words that anyone in law enforcement who endangers a child must be prosecuted as vigorously as anyone else would be. “Or else respect for law goes down the toilet,” I wrote. How could anyone miss that?
Anonymous 1:44, what concrete help have you yourself offered to children scarred by burns?
Here is what I do. I send money to a foundation that helps burned children attend summer camp together. There, they can be themselves without suffering from the shocked stares of insensititve strangers where they live the rest of the year.
For a little while each year at this camp, they can be with other kids who have, because of facial scars they suffered through no fault of their own, felt themselves to be unwelcome among “the vast majority” of “regular” people like you and me.
There, they can be appreciated for who they are, not what they look like.
They can be judged for who they really are, not what someone assumes them to be. Or maybe not judged at all, but accepted in a spirit of Love.
Jeff Lytle, the phrase “vast majority” was introduced to this thread by Anonymous 1:44. I only used it in replying to him. You might want to rethink the comment you addressed to me at 7:51.
There’s a great disparity between what Great Anonymous wrote and what he intended to write. Grammar sucks, huh?
Mr. Finance,
Perhaps I actually got the point.
I’d invite you to make it more clearly, but I think your point is clear, if unflattering.
Lawbreaking is fine if it’s done by the right people. Laws must be followed, except when they’re a product of the “Nanny State.” If it’s hard to figure out which laws are valid, contact Mr. Finance, and he’ll explain it all to you.
Obviously this guy didn’t read the warning label. Maybe it was in Chinese.
Thanks Heraldo for this posting. It happened on the 4th, and not much has happened legally to him since then. Atleast another canning plus child endagerment should happen soon, right?
Thanks again – she is a sweet sweet child – I hear they are planning to move a large toe for her to use as a thumb. Hope it works. Prayers to all involved.
Anonymous 9:22 is entitled to his opinion, no matter how weak its foundation may be.
I think it works like this:
The government is the “nanny state” whenever it tells YOU (or HiFi) you can’t do something YOU want to do. It’s also the “nanny state” whenever YOU (in your infinite wisdom) decide that the rule/regulation/law is overprotective (= wimpy).
But when your neighbor, using the same logic, behaves is a way that annoys/threatens/upsets/costs-you-as-a-taxpayer then the rules are reasonable, and not the “nanny state.”
It boils down to a belief in one’s own superiority and entitlement.
No moron. The state is a “Nanny state” when it tries to overprotect you & keep you from every harm or every loss like some little child instead of treating you like an adult.
A perfect example is how we aren’t even allowed the little itty bitty firecrackers we all had as children. How, in many parts of California & other states, people aren’t even allowed sparklers or the fountains we can still buy in Humboldt County.
I didn’t play with firecrackers when I was a child. My house burned down, though, because of a neighbor’s fireworks display. So, I will politely tell you to STFU.
I personally like firecrackers and bottle rockets, they are fun but we must recognize there is at least some inherent danger with them, at least on the level of riding a motorcycle or climbing a 12,000 foot peak or skydiving.
Bottle rockets, firecrackers etc are still legal in Wyoming and can also be found on Indian Reservations in Nevada.
There is good reason why explosive fireworks are illegal in states where there is a high population density. (Wyoming has the least population in the US= lots of open space.) These laws didn’t just arise in a vacuum to kill our buzz. My mother grew up in a small town in Iowa where there was a huge explosion at a 4th of July fireworks stand, killing and maiming multiple people. The city banned fireworks almost immediately. There were lots of incidents like that around the US.
The laws were not passed to be a nanny to people who choose to mess with fireworks. They were passed to protect the innocent collateral damage of fireworks explosions.
have a peaceful day,
Bill
The CDC states that 7,000 people were injured by fireworks in 2008. 2/3 were from basic fireworks, 1/3 from illegal professional devices.
How many people would be injured by legal weed, prostitution, gambling, etc.? Apart from burning one’s finger, having a orgasm-related hypertension attack, or repetitive stress from inserting quarters…
Soze, yes, nanny state.
haha, california is the most nanniest of nanny states. Really stupid degrees of demanding overprotection of our personal selves. At the same time they’re completely selling us our mental selves and taking us for every penny we got. Whether we think we like it or not doesn’t matter.
The wimpy legal fireworks are the ‘nanny’ part of it. Banning fireworks altogether, I’m pretty sure, is for fire safety reasons. Two totally different versions of the nanny syndrome. The one (wimpy fireworks) supposedly protects a person from themself (or supervising adult). The other (banning all fireworks) protects everybody from some yahoo starting a fire even when using the ‘safe’ fireworks.
Why does everyone seem to think this mess was resulting from a “nanny state”? If there weren’t a nanny state, Jessi could have bought the bomb her own self, and blown off BOTH hands, and the critter that sold it to her would go off giggling into the night. It’s people like Marsh buying dangerous things to endanger themselves and innocent bystanders that make “nanny states” necessary. Now that corporations rule America, we need nannies more than ever.
The Great Anonymous,
My bad – Anonymous through Great Anonymous. I understood your sarcasm and misapplied the poster in my response. Thank You for bringing it to my attention.
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Good points Walt,
Yet, less people meant less noticing of fireworks; less impacts to others; less environmental damages; less, less, less. Now, with hoards of people being born and hoards of people(immigrants) flooding the country, it is not hard to understand why people feel a bit nanooed-out with nannyisms.
The solution = less people
JL
Jeffrey Lytle, I appreciate your good faith in going back and re-reading my posts. Peace!
Just imagine if an adult had let illegal drugs be taken by a child, and she was harmed.
We have a new sheriff-elect sitting in the #2 spot presently. Why isn’t the T-S asking what investigative and/or punitive actions he and his department have taken regarding his deputy?
Because an investigation is already underway. Because a sheriff-elect is not the Sheriff until he is sworn in. Because the Times-Standard knows these things.
10.59am – Because at this time it is a personel issue & not subject to the public’s blood lust.
The idiot, “henchman for justice” should not be allowed access to a computer.
No law says you have to read his writings.
Check again.
Henchman got about 3% of the vote in his latest run for supervisor.
Sometimes the voters are wise.
ShirleyValentine+Keyboard=Irrelevant, Ignorant, Racist Statement. I hope you were attempting sarcasm. If not, there’s nothing to be salvaged from your response. Every illegal firework I have ever seen detonated was brought here by a legal US citizen that took a vacation to Mexico or another state, illegally smuggled back into California and then blown up at a party to impress friends. Maybe your equation should read:
Legal US Citizens+Illegal Fireworks=Catastrophe or ShirleyValentine+Sarah Palin=Running Mates 2012!
All these words being written are pretty useless. Let us pray for the little girls healing, body and spirit and help out with her expenses.
Wow, back to the supposed insults that are ineffective. I ain’t sweating fingers my frolicking followers over 3% is it? Anyhow, most of the 97% of the actual voters will most likely get what they deserve because they are so faithfully entrenched over money and personal greeds, time and time again.
Ghilarducci and Humboldt Creamery is throughout the county, not just little ole Ferndale!
Jeffrey Lytle
McKinleyville – 5th District
Joe,
Excellent point! What about pharmaceutical drugs too???
JL
So, BB, all these words are pretty useless. Instead of thinking, feeling, sharing, and writing about these things, you say we should pray and support the recovery of this brave little girl.
You seem to have an insight and a sense of right and wrong that the rest of us don’t.
So please, tell me something. Why don’t we pray God to reverse the process that damaged those hands in the first place? God is omnipotent, all-powerful. Why don’t we ask Him to do something even more useful than help the doctors graft a toe to a hand? Why not pray for her hand to be put back the way it was?
And while we’re at it, why don’t we pray God to help all the children in this world of His who suffer every day from lack of food, shelter, and medical care? He is omnipotent. He could do it if He wanted to do it. Why do we pray only for this one little girl when millions of little girls and boys are suffering now?
And let me ask you this. Why is it even necessary for humans to pray God to do what should be His responsibility as our Loving Father – to stop the suffering of his innocent children?
Why doesn’t He live up to the responsiblities that many earthly fathers would be put in jail for ignoring?
LMAO, GA!!!
Great post ANNON 4:22!!!!!
Once again Little Jeff I ask you,since you constantly rant about overpopulation,please feel free to start the movement anytime by removing yourself from this earth
BTW, OT- but I don’t figure your last name is all to common,so are you related to the Lytles that got busted running a drug house?
Wow,
So because the truth is truth and upset people are mad, upset people will invent anything to kill the messenger. Sad.
Over-population – God is an evil God if God is all knowing, then tells people(followers) to reproduce to fill the earth even though God is all-knowing and knows what problems over-population causes in the future.
In summary, Religion is not really a serious concept. Yet, I will not go against the right people have to their religion – just keep it to yourselves!
Smokemonster – If I had a choice, I would not have chosen this age to live. Maybe 200 years ago when life was still relatively casual and exciting, yet cumbersome with hard work and more honor. Hey, at least I am not “creating additional humanoids” that would count toward a higher population – my personal choice, not by force but by giving a little thought to mankinds overall inability to control itself!
JL
Whoa, a lot of anger on here. Please don’t blame the Lord God for all the ills of this world. We turned our backs to God And yes God can heal this little girl.. So pray.
I suppose we can invest all our faith in our prayers for this one little girl – and ignore the millions of suffering children around the world.
Is that what Jesus would do?
It seems to me God was well and away doing his work in this child’s life all along. I have heard what a happy, positive being she is….cheerful, optimistic and enthusiastic about life. Joy, a sheer joy! It may seem like she was handed a bad deal, but who knows what the reasons are for what happends to us? Maybe, because of her wonderful view on life, she gets to provide comfort and encouragement to someone else down the line. Some of us die because of our dilemmas, and some of us bloom. I have a feeling Jessi will blossom fully….to the amazement and delight of all. That it happened sucks, but who knows, maybe by it happening to her is a blessing down the road to someone who is not so empowered. May everyone be blessed.
California is the biggest nanny state in the union. I beg anybody to differ.
I think Massachusetts probably has California beat in terms of per-capita bureaucracy.
California had the 2nd lowest per capita ratio of full time government employees of all 50 states at 103 employees per 10,000 population. Illinois was the lowest at 97. The average state had 143 full time employees per 10,000 population.
The idea that California has a huge overblown bureaucracy is completely false, at least compared to other states in the US, including all of the so-called “Red States.”
Texas has 122 employees per 10,000 population.
have a peaceful day,
Bill
HB,
difference may be HOW the money is spent. IMO, ALL State Goverments and the Federal Government are too large. These agencies at all levels need money to operate (taxes). How the money is spent dictates often enough how much more or less money (taxes) are needed. The waste of tax dollars is what is cold-cocking America from behind. I am surprised more Americans could not seer our future based on the then and nows.
TWO words – BUDGET CUTS!
JL
Jeff,
It may be true that when you combine government at all levels that government has grown too large. Under Clinton government (at all levels) consumed about 20 per cent of GDP, now just a few years later government is consuming around 30 percent of GDP.
But that is a separate argument. California’s government is demonstrably more “efficient” than most other states in terms of total state employees, total state and local employees, and also in K-12 education employees.
That’s just a fact that must be taken into your calculations.
have a peaceful day,
bill
HB,
Facts – relative to what your “definition is” of efficient.
The State deficit suggests otherwise. The State’s investments suggest otherwise. The State’s bureaucratic decision makers prove otherwise.
JL