Lundberg v. County of Humboldt was a United States District Court for the Northern District of California decision issued on April 29, 2005 which arose out of a protest dispute in 1997 between environmental activists for the Headwaters Forest and the Sheriff's Deputies of Humboldt County, California. During three protests in the Fall of 1997, police officers swabbed pepper spray in the eyes of eight activists practicing nonviolent resistance. The action taken by the police was later judged to be excessive force and a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.