Tehama County files restraining order against 81-year-old woman – Red Bluff Daily News

Tehama County Superior Court is pictured. (George Johnston/Daily News)

RED BLUFF — On behalf of Chief Administrative Officer Gabriel Hydrick, Tehama County has filed a motion seeking a court order against a Lake California woman for comments she made during several Board of Supervisors meetings.

During the June 18 meeting, Louise Wilkinson commented on ongoing labor negotiations with the Sheriff’s Office and alleged comments about Sheriff Dave Kain’s family.

“He better remember he has a family,” Wilkinson said of Hydrick. “He has kids. We know where they go to school. We know what sports they play and I think his wife might be here today. So he better be careful who comes through that door because it’s a two-way street.”

In a statement released Tuesday, Wilkinson apologized for her comments and stressed she had not intended to make threats.

“Unfortunately, in a rare instance, I was not very eloquent or clear,” she noted. “It was a spontaneous statement and I did not intend to threaten anyone, especially his young children.”

She asked the board for forgiveness, expressing hope that this will be a turning point in the work of each of us to build a better future for Tehama County.

Court documents cite a June 4 comment in which Wilkinson is accused of saying Hydrick answered the door because it threatened to have his family arrested as well.

The sheriff understands the passion that led to Wilkinson’s actions, but he doesn’t consider her a threat. While appreciating her defense, Cain said he thinks she went a little too far at this point.

After that meeting, the sheriff spoke to Wilkinson about what had happened. He would like the same thing to happen before taking legal action.

Analyst Sue Ampi was appalled by the comments, saying that there should be no tolerance for someone directly or indirectly threatening public employees. She added that Hyrdick had the support of many county employees.

“If he didn’t do that, what kind of message would that send to any other employee in this county who might be faced with a similar situation,” Ampi said. “We all have to make our own decision on how we want to do this, but we want our employees to come forward and tell us this is the only way we can protect them.”

Liz Merry believes there are credible threats and empty threats. Merry asked if anyone really believed that a woman who was about to turn 82 was capable of violence. She didn’t.

“I know she deeply regrets the words she said,” Merry said. “I know she didn’t mean them the way they sounded. I think we’ve all seen this week how people in their 80s sometimes lose their cool in front of a microphone.”

In the court order, through a Tehama County attorney, Hydrick asks that his wife and two older children receive protective orders from Wilkinson. Hydrick’s three children are listed on the application, but they are minors and will not be identified.

According to court documents, Hydrick is asking Wilkinson to be prohibited from making harassing comments, attacks or threats. He wants her to be prohibited from following or stalking him during work hours or committing acts of violence.

Hydrick specifically requested that Wilkinson not be permitted to contact any of the individuals involved directly or indirectly in any manner, including in person, by telephone, mail, public or private mail, internal mail, email, text message, fax or other electronic means.

He asked the court to order Wilkinson to maintain a distance of less than 100 yards from him, his wife and children, his workplace, the schools his children attend and his vehicle.