Woman to hospital after Easy Street Records window incident

(Photo sent by Kathy)

Thanks for the tips. More trouble for Easy Street Records – two days after flooding damage inside, one of the shop windows was broken from outside, around 7 am. Police found a shrieking woman, took her into custody, and called for medical assistance; one of the people who told us about this, Kathy, says people nearby setting up for the Farmers’ Market told her that the woman apparently had thrown herself against the window. SFD tells us, “A crew was dispatched and treated an adult female in crisis. The patient was transported to the hospital by AMR.”

flimflam October 6, 2024 (10:22 am)

Jeez, not a great week for East Street. Hope they can an catch a break and have a good week.

Alki resident October 6, 2024 (12:21 pm)

I’m sorry Easy Street. That’s an expensive fix.

Grilled Cheese October 6, 2024 (4:10 pm)

Time to step up West Seattle. Let’s line up and support one of the oldest business in Seattle. Time time buy some Dolly Parton Stacks and and Punk LP’s. Let’s do this!

Justaguy October 6, 2024 (4:43 pm)

I saw it happen. I was at the junction intersection, waiting for the light to turn green, lined up next get two police cruisers. They had her in custody within seconds of the glass breaking. She was clearly not well, shrieking and screaming incoherently. The whole thing was surreal. She needs help and Easy Street needs their luck to turn.

Thomas October 6, 2024 (5:59 pm)

The biggest problem is while she will be taken to the hospital. There is no way under Washington law they will be able to hold her.In a matter of hours she will most likely be back on the streets. Washington mental health care is one of the worse in the country.

Ferns October 6, 2024 (9:13 pm)

By what authority should this woman be held in any state? We’d need to reintroduce laws allowing adults to be held against their will. I’m not opposed to that but the safeguards against abuse would need to be very high.
- Navosstaff October 6, 2024 (11:32 pm)
  
  Wrong- educate yourself on WA State ITA’s.
  - Thomas October 7, 2024 (7:35 am)
    
    I would be willing to bet you from the streets to the hospital .She’s probably well known.As it was explained to me by two different officers. The 72 hour hold is not what people think it is.How many hospitals are going to.hold somebody for 72 hours.Chances are a majority of these people don’t have the financial resources to pay for treatment.
    - K October 7, 2024 (4:31 pm)
      
      It’s not the medical facility that holds them. The mental health system doesn’t work the way you (and apparently also two different officers) think it does.
    - CAM October 8, 2024 (12:34 am)
      
      A. The 72 hour hold hasn’t been that for several years. It’s now a 120 hour hold, not counting holidays and weekends. It’s typically a week.
      
      B. An involuntarily detained patient is covered financially if they don’t have insurance.
      
      C. The argument that WA’s involuntary commitment criteria are weaker or any different than any other state is ridiculous and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of mental health law. Those state laws are all written to align with Supreme Court rulings on how and why a person can be involuntarily detained.
      
      D. Since you all know so much that you can spout these claims repeatedly, what element of the ITA laws would you revise and how to better serve patients? Or is this just blustering on the internet and claiming to understand something you don’t so you can complain about the government?
- Rara October 7, 2024 (9:22 am)
  
  She may have been held in a 5150
  - WS Res October 7, 2024 (12:21 pm)
    
    5150 is a California statute and has nothing to do with Washington.
Navosstaff October 6, 2024 (11:29 pm)

Not true. She will be held for 72 hrs on an involuntary hold (ITA) under the grounds of “Danger to Property”, “Danger to Self”, “Danger to Others” and “Grave Disability” (any or all)- read about ITA’s and you’ll have a better idea of how mental health hold vs anything criminal compares.

Get Them Help October 6, 2024 (6:38 pm)

It’s obvious to anyone without blinders on that the current policy of “let them harm themselves on the streets while we all look the other way” isn’t working. Let’s do something about it.

Navosstaff October 6, 2024 (11:37 pm)

This demonstrates an ignorance of what ITA’s are about. Look at Navos Inpatient Services, Fairfax etc. THESE PEOPLE ARE MENTALLY ILL. No one chooses this. Educate yourself about mental health and how little funding and Washington state gets towards helping these people. It’s called brain chemistry, mostly the result of trauma.
Jason October 7, 2024 (7:45 am)

Rounding people up that you don’t like and banishing them to an island to rot isn’t going to do anything morally correct either…
- Thomas October 7, 2024 (4:30 pm)
  
  What a absolutely ridiculous claim!

Mental Health Professional October 6, 2024 (8:05 pm)

Holding someone against their will has nothing to do with the state of mental health care in Washington, which is better than most states. But also, she will not be immediately released because “harm to self” is a reason for at least a 72 hour hold.

Ex-Westwood Resident October 6, 2024 (9:15 pm)

When the Govenor reduces funding to the state mental hospital to the point of losing accreditation, causing Federal funds to be cut-off, as Jay Inslee has done to promote his “Community Mental Health Centers” this is the result.

Washington’s Mental Health Care system is middle of the road at BEST. With the amount of taxes this state collects, our mental health care system, along with just about EVERYTHING in this state, should be MUCH better!!!
- Navosstaff October 6, 2024 (11:39 pm)
  
  Hallelujah! Finally someone who gets it.

WS Res October 6, 2024 (10:41 pm)

Anybody concerned about Washington state law regarding mental health “holds,” and our lack of facilities for both long and short term care, should listen to the “Lost Patients” podcast from KUOW. It’s six parts, very deeply reported, and will give you a much clearer understanding of the complexities of the problems with laws, the patchwork of services, and the lack of “beds.” I’m a mental health professional with a PhD, but have only lived in WA for a few years, and it gave me a much clearer perspective on the landscape here even though I knew most of the generalities, which are not terribly different from state to state. Whether you’re concerned about the well-being of people with mental illness or the impact on the public when severe mental illness goes untreated and gets matted together with homelessness and substance use, it is super helpful to have a clear sense of the systemic issues in play as well as the personal ones.Here’s hoping things get better for that woman, and for Easy Street.

Cait October 6, 2024 (11:00 pm)

I think this might be the same woman I saw screaming into the windows of the Chase Bank for hours the same day. Is there somewhere to report a person in distress?

Navosstaff October 6, 2024 (11:43 pm)

In order to get to a hospital for evaluation to determine necessity of a hold, people have to be transported by a first responder. Once at the hospital, they’ll be evaluated and held if deemed necessary. There’s four grounds of which people are held, and they are danger to self, danger, to others, danger to property, or grave disability.
- Lisa October 7, 2024 (5:48 am)
  
  In other words, no, there’s no place to report this. I’ve tried reporting people in distress and I’ve been told there’s nothing anyone can do. So the people are left on the street. I’ve stopped calling. This is why people turn away because there is LITERALLY nothing one can do.
- CAM October 8, 2024 (12:39 am)
  
  “Navosstaff” 1) you are referencing a 72 hour hold that hasn’t existed for several years. It is a 120 hour hold. 2) you do not have to be transported by EMS or police to be involuntarily detained. You can walk in the doors of the hospital of your own accord and be detained.
- Cait October 8, 2024 (8:46 pm)
  
  Thank you!! Glad to know this and thanks for the information
Lauren October 7, 2024 (1:30 pm)

Yes, you can call 988

anonyme October 7, 2024 (7:08 am)

One of the reasons we have a mental health crisis in our area is the lack of services at every level. Even those who are high functioning and have insurance have a hard time finding care. Small problems become big ones; Seattle has a tradition of looking the other way until a problem is literally screaming.