Lt. Tony Zanotti testifying in the coroner's inquest into the death of Cheri Lyn Moore . Drawing by K. Rudin.

Press release just in from the District Attorney's Office:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2007

Retired Chief of Police David Douglas and Eureka Police Lieutenant Anthony Zanotti appeared for arraignment today in Department 8 of Humboldt Superior Court on a felony indictment charging them with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of Cheri Lyn Moore. Judge John T. Feeney ordered the matter continued for further arraignment until February 21, 2008. Both remain free on their own recognizance. If convicted, each man faces up to four years in state prison.

In April 2006 Cheri Lyn Moore was shot and killed in her second-story apartment at Fifth and G Streets after a standoff with Eureka police officers. Douglas and Zanotti were the police commanders in charge at the scene of that incident. Testimony regarding the shooting was taken before the grand jury from several witnesses, including police officers, over several days. The Grand Jury returned an indictment naming both men. That indictment remained sealed until today.

UPDATE: Same-day Times-Standard coverage .

The second floor hallway of the Humboldt County Courthouse was awash in black as a crowd of uniformed officers, city officials and other Eureka Police Department personnel attended the proceedings in support of Douglas and Zanotti.

Both defendants attended the brief court hearing, after being escorted into the court room through a back entrance by a bailiff. They left quickly once the hearing was over.