Two arrested, one sought, after 2 violent and bloody fights at Redding’s Parkview Park

REDDING — Officers have made two arrests after a violent fight involving a machete, hammer, and golf club, and are searching for a suspect involved in an earlier, unrelated stabbing that happened within 18 hours of each other at Redding’s Parkview Riverfront Park. The violent and bloody incidents happened Monday night and Tuesday afternoon, according to officials.

The 12.5 acre park, located south of Parkview and E. Cypress Avenues, and west of the Sacramento River, has been the focus of many recent complaints about vagrancy, drug use, prostitution, aggressive panhandling, and other “quality of life” issues.

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Although officials did not locate a suspect in the first incident, the two men involved in the second altercation were later identified as Edmond Lee Jung, 38, of Redding, and John Allen Workman, 51, of Shasta Lake City.

According to Redding Police Sgt. Brian Cole, both Jung and Workman are “well known” to Redding police officers and the two men have been arrested “dozens of times” in recent years.

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Edmond Jung, 38, and John Workman, 51, were arrested after reportedly beating each other with weapons during a violent incident at Parkview Riverfront Park, yesterday afternoon.

According to Cole, in the last three years Jung, who is currently on PRCS probation for vehicle theft, has been booked into the Shasta County Jail twenty-six times on suspicion of committing crimes ranging from domestic violence, resisting arrest, battery on a peace officer, possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, warrants, and violations of probation.

“Jung was last arrested on multiple warrants for his arrest on June 1,” Cole explained. He was held in custody for just three days before being released on his own recognizance after a court hearing, according to the Sgt.

Workman has been arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail four times since October, 2017, according to Cole, who explained Workman was last arrested just four days before Tuesday’s machete, hammer, and golf club fight. He was arrested for a warrant for failing to appear on previous charges and was released later the same day.

The first incident officers investigated Monday evening, July 11, reportedly began as a verbal dispute between two men that escalated into a stabbing.

City of Redding Police and Fire Departments along with other emergency first responders  were dispatched to the park around 10:45 p.m., after receiving reports of a fight and stabbing that had just occurred, Redding Police Cpl. Llamas explained as the first investigation was getting underway.

When officials arrived they found 53-year-old, Redding resident, Gary Swinhart, suffering from a “non-life threatening stab wound to his abdomen area,” explained Llamas.

While medical personnel evaluated and treated Swinhart at the scene, Redding PD officers searched for the alleged suspect. They were assisted by a California Highway Patrol aviation crew.

The suspect was described by the victim and witnesses as a Native American male in his mid-30’s. He was reportedly wearing red shorts and no shirt and was last seen fleeing east through the park, toward the Sacramento River.

Despite the extensive ground and air search, officials were unable to locate the alleged suspect and Swinhart later declined further medical treatment and left the area on foot, according to Llamas.

The second violent incident happened the following afternoon and Redding police officers were dispatched back to the park around 4:15 p.m., after receiving reports of a fight.

A 911 caller told SHASCOM emergency dispatchers two men “were beating another man with golf clubs,” Sgt. Cole explained after the incident.

“While officers were responding to the location it was reported that a machete was now being used in the fight and the subjects were swinging the machete and golf club back and forth at one another,” said Cole.

When officers arrived they immediately located and detained the three men reportedly involved in the violent altercation.

Two of the men were identified as Jung and Workman, and officers determined the third man had not been actively involved in the violent incident.

“Both (Jung and Workman) had sustained non-life threatening injuries and admitted to being in a physical fight over a dispute about property,” Cole later explained. “Both were uncooperative in giving specific details about how the golf club and machete were involved in the fight.”

Officers investigating the fight located several weapons at the scene, including a machete and hammer. Officers also discovered Jung was in possession of a bag of methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe.

Officials could not locate the golf club reportedly used during the fight, which Jung told officials he threw into the brush along the river when officers arrived at the park.

After his arrest, Jung was transported to a local hospital for a medical clearance and then booked at the Shasta County Jail for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, as well as violation of his probation.

Additionally, a case is being submitted to the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office for charges against both men for assault with a deadly weapon, according to Cole.

Anyone with information regarding Monday’s stabbing or who knows the identity and location of the reported suspect is encouraged to contact Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 18-41943 and can remain anonymous.

 

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Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations, including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook, as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.