By Linda Sutter

Matthew Honeycutt was a member of the elite S.E.R.T. (Specialized Emergency Response Team) at Pelican Bay Maximum Security State Prison. On December 21, 2013 Honeycutt utilized a Karambit knife on Aaron Herring, slashing his throat 7 inches from the back of the head to the front, claiming he was in fear of his life.

Honeycut wore an  expressionless face while viewing the video of a gapping wound with blood pouring out of the victim, Aaron Herring. The next video would reveal Honeycut confessing, “I slit that fools throat good,”  in the privacy of his home, amongst his friends; Sheriff’s Deputy, Justin Gill, Crescent City Police Officer Lopez, and one other officer, while they read him his Miranda rights and cuffed him up to be booked at the Del Norte County Jail.

Aaron Herring, the victim of this serious assault testified that he and Honeycutt got into a confrontation when Honeycutt who had been drinking, announced he was giving everyone a ride home. Herring was planning to take a cab with friend, Macy Jones. Herring admits he started throwing punches at Honeycutt, but while he was lying on the ground with blood pouring out of his neck, looking at the face of death he stated, “Who does that, man? It was just  a fight. Who pulls out a knife and cuts peoples throats over a fight?”

Matthew Honeycutt remained employed at Pelican Bay State Prison after the assault. He was not terminated until he received a citation for driving under the influence of alcohol.