Several Shasta County Board of Supervisors meetings have been raucous and argumentative during the past year, but on Tuesday things became physical and sheriff’s deputies were called to investigate.
There are different versions of what happened at the August 20 meeting, but according to reports from members of the board and the alleged victim, one man either struck or poked another member of the audience.
The Record Searchlight spoke to two witnesses and one of the people involved in the incident and heard three different accounts of what happened.
Here’s what they said.
Board member Patrick Jones said Shasta County resident Thomas Hildebrandt was at the podium addressing the supervisors when Christian Gardinier was behind him, speaking to a security guard. At one point Gardinier laughed loud enough for Hildebrandt to hear him, Jones said.
At that point, Hildebrandt turned around and spoke to Gardinier and then returned to the podium, Supervisor Tim Garman said. After Hildebrandt finished speaking, he walked away from the podium toward Gardinier, Garman said.
Both supervisors said Gardinier then placed his hand on Hildebrandt’s shoulder. Hildebrandt responded by allegedly giving Gardinier a sharp poke in the abdomen, Jones said.
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Jones said Hildebrandt did not use his fist to strike Gardinier. But Supervisor Tim Garman said Hildebrandt struck Gardinier with his fist in the abdomen.
Contacted after the meeting, Gardinier described what happened. Hildebrandt could not be reached for comment. Tim Mapes, a sheriff’s office spokesman, said deputies were called to the meeting after receiving a report of an “assault and battery incident between two parties.”
“Arriving deputies contacted the victim who indicated they did not want to pursue charges against the other involved party. The other involved party was no longer on scene and was not contacted,” Mapes said in a text message.
Gardinier said he was waiting in line to speak to the board after Hildebrandt finished. A security guard at the meeting told Gardinier to step back because he was too close to Hildebrandt, Gardinier said.
The security guard then spoke to Gardinier, who said he laughed in response. At that point, Hildebrandt left the podium, walked up to Gardinier and they exchanged words, Gardinier said.
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Hildebrandt returned to the podium to finish addressing the board, Gardinier said. After Hildebrandt finished speaking, he walked up the aisle toward Gardinier, who is 73 years old.
“I was walking up to the podium and I stopped and I extended my right hand,” Gardinier said. “I wanted to shake his hand, and I did have my hand up on his shoulder, and I was in the process of saying, ‘Thomas, we don’t need to get violent. You know, I think it was a misunderstanding.’ Well, anyway, I got about halfway into that sentence, and he just went ahead and fired on me. And like I told the deputy, I mean, the sheriff, it (the hit) was kind of like a three or four on a scale of one to 10.”
Board Chairman Kevin Crye called for a recess in the meeting and sheriff’s deputies arrived.
“I told them kind of what I’m telling you, I think the whole thing was mistake. There’s no way I want to press charges. I’m more concerned about Thomas and want to make sure that Thomas is OK,” Gardinier said.
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Tuesday’s incident was just one of several over the past year or so where meetings have been disrupted and the board has asked that the audience leave the chambers due to visitors — sometimes including Gardinier — yelling from their seats.
During an August 2023 meeting, Gardinier — who’s often at odds with Jones and the board’s far-right majority — was told to leave after speaking out from his seat. He eventually left the board chambers. In the foyer outside the meeting room, he objected to being forced to leave.
“This arbitrary and capricious dictation by the Board of Supervisors chairperson, Patrick Jones, has got to stop. It’s illegal, it’s unconstitutional. I believe I should have sat in there, got arrested, so we could put this through the court case. If we have to do that eventually, it’s going to happen,” Gardinier said last year.
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Assault reported at Shasta Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday
