On June 27, 2017 at approximately 2: 30 p.m., Redding Police Officer Jay Guterding was working in his capacity as a part-time Code Enforcement Officer. Officer Guterding was assisting the Community Work Program Officer in locating illegal campsites on City of Redding property. While checking a wooded location along the Sacramento River, near the intersection of Cypress Avenue and Hartnell Avenue, Officer Guterding encountered a male subject camping in a tent. This is a violation of the Redding Municipal Code.
Upon contacting the subject, he identified himself as James Duncan and advised he was homeless. Duncan was cooperative and advised he had been in the Redding area for approximately three weeks. A wanted person check revealed that Duncan had an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of Alabama that listed him as a probationer for Manslaughter. The new charges on the warrant were Possession of a controlled substance, Use/Possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to enroll in or complete a program called New Directions. Duncan was arrested without incident and was subsequently booked into the Shasta County Jail.
Duncan told officers that after serving three years in Alabama for manslaughter, he was released from prison. Upon release, he failed to follow his probation conditions and fled to California. Duncan advised he was facing up to 17 years in prison for fleeing and violating his terms.
