McKinleyville Man Arrested After Officers Recover Loaded Handgun
Humboldt County deputies arrested a McKinleyville man early Friday after officers say he discarded firearms and other items while on patrol near a Hiller Road residence. The arrest removes several weapons from a residential neighborhood and underscores ongoing local concerns about untraceable firearms and public safety.
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Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies detained a McKinleyville man on the night of Nov. 6 after observing him discard weapons and other items near a residence on Hiller Road. Deputies assigned to the McKinleyville area were on patrol at about 11:15 p.m. near the intersection of McKinleyville Avenue and Hiller Road when they saw a male subject emerge from a residential driveway and continue walking while officers attempted contact.
According to the sheriff’s office release, the subject, dressed in dark clothing and carrying a backpack, reached into his pockets and discarded items into nearby bushes and onto the ground as deputies approached. Deputies detained the man and identified him as Aaron Thomas Bjorkstrand, 42, a convicted felon from McKinleyville.
Items found on Bjorkstrand and recovered from the scene included a stun gun flashlight and an empty gun holster on his person, the release states. The discarded property collected by deputies comprised a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber semi automatic handgun, an unloaded unserialized ghost gun, a loaded magazine, and an Apple iPhone.
Bjorkstrand was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on multiple weapons related charges. The charges include felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of an undetectable firearm, possession of a stun gun as a felon, and obstructing and resisting an officer. The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the department tip line.
The incident occurred in a residential part of McKinleyville and will likely reverberate through the community, which has long prided itself on neighborhood safety and close ties among residents. The recovery of both a loaded conventional handgun and an unserialized ghost gun highlights concerns about the availability of firearms that are difficult to trace, an issue that has drawn attention beyond Humboldt County. For residents, the immediate implication is reassurance that deputies on routine patrol were able to intervene and remove weapons from a neighborhood street late at night.
Local law enforcement officials said the case remains under investigation. The presence of the Apple iPhone among the recovered items may provide investigators with further leads. As the legal process proceeds, the arrest adds to broader conversations about weapons safety, enforcement, and community reporting. The sheriff’s office emphasized that tips from the public remain a valuable resource and encouraged anyone with relevant information to call the tip line.
