Redding PD officer welcomed as newest Shasta County Bomb Squad member

September 4, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

REDDING, Calif., — Redding Police Department was excited yesterday to announce the assignment of one of their own to the Shasta County Bomb Squad.

In a social media release, Redding Police Department said Officer Eva Smith recently completed an extensive training program at the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School (HDS) in Huntsville, Alabama, and will now be bringing back the latest extensive bomb technician skills and knowledge to share with her teammates on the Shasta County Bomb Squad and law enforcement agencies throughout the North State region.

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Saying, “Congratulations, Eva, You’re the bomb!”, in their recent announcement, Redding PD explained that Smith completed an extensive training program at the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal after undergoing an arduous training process in order to complete the program.

“HDS is often referred to as the national academy for bomb technicians,” explained officials. “It is the only facility in the country that trains and certifies the nation’s public safety bomb technicians.”

With her training now completed, Redding Police Officer Eva Smith will be joining the Shasta County Bomb Squad as their newest Bomb Technician. RPD photo

Prior to attending the Alabama-based HDS, Smith completed what officials referred to as “arduous training process” that included numerous online prerequisites and 40+ hours of online training, two weeks of HAZMAT training with FEMA, five weeks of training at HDS in Alabama, and successful completion through a strenuous obstacle course while wearing a bomb suit.

In April 2019, Smith, who was assigned as a School Resource Officer at the time, was involved in a violent and bloody encounter with a paroled “high-risk” sex offender at Shasta County College that put her and two other officers in the hospital and led to a lengthy, months-long recovery for her.

As reported by SCNS at the time, the April 23, 2019 incident that left Smith and the other officers hospitalized was the result of a trespassing investigation that spun wildly out of control when David Wuco, of Redding, went on the attack, leading to a lengthy physical confrontation and Wuco’s ultimate arrest.

Wuco, who had a violent and turbulent history with Redding PD and Shasta Community College, had been ordered to stay off the campus the previous day by school officials and campus security personnel, while they investigated sexual misconduct allegations against him, Redding Police Sergeant G. Meadows reported at the time.

Wuco refused to leave the campus and became confrontational and combative with school officials, leading them to call 911 and request Redding PD’s assistance in removing him from the school’s grounds.

“Due to Wuco’s violent history and the fact he is on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, multiple Redding police officers responded to assist Shasta College with his removal,” Meadows previously reported.

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Once at the college, “officers asked Wuco several times to leave the campus but he refused,” Meadows continued; saying, when officers attempted to physically remove him he began fighting with them.

During the ensuing melee, Wuco violently fought with officers and campus security officials, “causing significant injuries to three officers,” according to Meadows.

A subsequent emergency call for help from one of the injured officers brought RPD and CHP officers flooding onto the campus from around the city and surrounding areas and officials were eventually able to get the violently resisting man into custody.

Although officers eventually overpowered Wuco and he was taken into custody, three officers – including Smith – were seriously injured and hospitalized with various, but unspecified “significant” injuries, according to the Sergeant.

At the time of his arrest, the then, twenty-nine year old man, was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon and was classified as a “high-risk” offender. He had previously served a five-year prison sentence for an assault with a deadly weapon case and was released on parole just months before the incident.

He pleaded guilty in June of that year to three counts of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury on a peace officer and admitted to two special allegations; including causing great bodily injury. He was sentenced to 19 years, 4 months in state prison and remains incarcerated.

Smith was all smiles when she returned to her position as a School Resource Officer assigned to Shasta High School after a five-month absence spent recovering from injuries sustained during an April 2019 fight with a violent parolee and registered sex offender. RPD images

Five very long months later, Smith was able to return to her position as a School Resource Officer at Shasta High School and was welcomed back with a well-attended surprise “Welcome Back” party; complete with cake and short speeches, as well as hugs, laughs – and even a few tears – along with many well wishes for her return.

As for her new position, officials have said Smith is excited to have the opportunity to continue serving her community.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

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.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.