The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed three felony charges against the man arrested last Thursday for firing a gun at Camp Second Chance, the tiny-home encampment in southeast West Seattle. 73-year-old Steven N. Phillips is charged with second-degree assault, unlawful gun possession, and unlawful firearm discharge. The charging documents say he was not allowed to possess a gun because of convictions including attempted residential burglary in 2009. He has older charges in three other states going back to 1975. The charges recap what was previously alleged – that Phillips started firing from his unit around 12:30 pm, about six shots. That’s according to the staff member who went to check on him; he allegedly then fired two rounds toward her, though neither she nor anyone else was injured. A friend of the suspect who lives at CSC told staffers that Phillips is a veteran with PTSD; she said he would not harm anybody and was “only going through an episode of his paranoia.” The SWAT team responded and, police say, Phillips fired another two rounds after their arrival. They talked him into surrendering and got a search warrant for his tiny house, where they found a 9mm gun, shell casings, a magazine with eight bullets, and two boxes of ammunition. Phillips’ bail is set at $400,000.

Share This

“Resolution” is the word the city currently uses rather than “sweep”; workers from multiple departments resolved two RV-dominated encampments in West Seattle this week, so we followed up for the statistics that are usually available afterward. We requested and received this information from the mayor’s office, to which the Unified Care Team reports:

SW Trenton north of Westwood Village, cleared on Wednesday (September 18):
-35 people were contacted (over three weeks – they weren’t all living at the site); 7 accepted offers of shelter; 6 RVs and 3 vehicles were at the site, 3 towed; 4,200 pounds of debris removed

Myers Way near the Joint Training Facility, cleared on Thursday (September 19):
-11 people were contacted; 2 accepted offers of shelter; 18 RVs and vehicles were at the site, 2 towed; 11,400 pounds of debris removed

Share This

Thanks to Michael for the tip. A second West Seattle RV encampment is posted for clearing starting this week. Six RVs and trailers on Myers Way north of the Joint Training Facility have been orange-tagged, and “No Parking” signs are up along Myers from Olson to 99th [map]. They set the city clearing/cleanup operation dates as starting Thursday (September 19):

That’s one day after the clearing/cleanup work is scheduled to begin at the SW Trenton encampment on the north side of Westwood Village (which is now down to 4 RVs/trailers, from the previous 6, with the sweep looming). The east side of the posted Myers Way area abuts the greenbelt area cleared by the state and city one year ago; we’re checking with the city to see if this is strictly a roadside sweep.

Share This

For those wondering about the big emergency response early this morning on Myers Way: A 60-year-old man was injured and had to be extricated from his RV after a van hit it. The call around 6:20 am on the east side of the 9700 block of Myers Way, across from Camp Second Chance, first came in as an “explosion” – but that turned out to be the sound of the impact. The damaged RV was still there when we went by later in the morning – as was an SPD parking-enforcement officer. SFD tells us the victim was taken to a hospital by private ambulance. The van driver was apparently unhurt (we haven’t yet clarified their status otherwise).

Share This

12:04 AM: Officers just told dispatch they’ve reopened the street.

Share This

Last Thursday, Kathleen sent these photos of a “parade” of tow trucks she saw heading from Myers Way toward Highway 509. After a few inquiries, we finally found out today where they were towed from. It wasn’t an encampment cleanup/mitigation, we were told, but it was a cleanup – involving a Seattle City Light parcel along Myers Way.

SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang told WSB, “This has been a collaborative operation between several city entities to secure the City Light property along Myers Way. We removed vehicles that were sitting at the bottom of the hill and are also closing in on removal of trash and debris in the next few weeks. Once cleared, it will be secured with ecoblocks to prevent further dumping in the area. A total of 10 vehicles, plus a stripped-down frame, were taken off the property.” (We have a followup question out regarding which specific parcel this involved – maps show SCL property on both sides of Myers, close to the city-limit line.)

Share This

5:09 PM: Seattle Fire crews have been on scene this past hour at what was described as an encampment fire between their Joint Training Facility and tiny-house village Camp Second Chance, on the west side of Myers Way. They’ve found one person with burns and are sending them to Harborview Medical Center by private ambulance. The rest of the response is winding down. It’s on fenced property so we couldn’t get a closer view than the apparatus lights through the trees.

ADDED 6:39 AM TUESDAY: SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty tells WSB the burn victim was a man around 60 years old who was in stable condition when transported. She says a firefighter also suffered minor injuries but did not need hospital treatment.

Share This

For months, the operators of tiny-house village Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way; map) have tried to get city help clearing an unauthorized encampment just outside their gates. The area where the encampment was set up had originally been considered a parking area that was unofficially part of CSC, but at some point they were reportedly told it was city right-of-way and that they could not regulate or maintain it. So, over the months, people with tents and RVs set up there; three weeks ago, one of those RVs caught fire. Community groups that do volunteer work at CSC also voiced concerns about the outside-the-fence encampment making it difficult for them to safely access CSC. Finally this week the encampment was cleared (including what remained of the burned RV). CSC manager Joaquin Barnett with camp operator LIHI told the camp’s Community Advisory Committee, “Moving forward, all participants that have vehicles were given parking passes which indicated that are LIHI participants, these parking passes are noticable on the inside of their vehicles, on the front dash board behind the front window.” We didn’t hear about the operation until it was over, so we subsequently asked Lori Baxter, spokesperson for the city’s homelessness response, about what had been done:

On Tuesday, the City’s Unified Care Team (UCT) conducted an encampment resolution near Camp Second Chance along Myers Way. Five vehicles, including one burned-out RV and four abandoned vehicles, were impounded from the site, and crews removed approximately 10,000 pounds of debris.

Offers of shelter were made to five individuals who were living unsheltered at the site, resulting in three accepted referrals.

UCT coordinated with Camp Second Chance in advance of the site resolution regarding deployment of no-parking signs in front of the tiny house village site. Temporary parking restrictions in effect there from December 1 will remain in place through December 8. The Unified Care Team will continue monitoring this site in an effort to keep it clear of any re-encampments.

If you’re not familiar with the area, this is city property on the west side of Myers Way, south of the Joint Training Facility; the encampment cleared this past summer on mostly state-owned land was on the east side and further north. Camp Second Chance has more than 50 tiny houses and usually is sheltering ~70 people.

Share This

11:57 AM: Thanks for the photos and tips. If you saw that column of black smoke in southeast West Seattle, here’s what was burning:

The reader who sent the photos says this is on Myers Way north of Camp Second Chance. We haven’t been to the scene yet to see how close, but CSC has long been trying to get city help addressing unsanctioned camping outside its site. Four SFD units remain logged to the call; we haven’t heard any word of injuries so far; no medic unit has been sent.

4:39 PM: SFD confirms no one was hurt and says the fire’s cause is “undetermined.”

Share This

One week after state and city crews started clearing the encampment site between northeast Myers Way and southbound Highway 509, Governor Jay Inslee visited this afternoon to see what had been done so far.

It’s one of 30 state highway/freeway-adjacent sites statewide addressed by the Right Of Way Safety Initiative, which Inslee declared “is working.” (Also cleared as part of the initiative was the infamous 2nd/Michigan encampment by the West Seattle side of the 1st Avenue South Bridge.) Before the governor’s arrival, we talked with reps from several departments and agencies to get some numbers.

First: Though outreach workers had previous said more than 50 people were identified as living at the camp, they ultimately revised that number to 36, saying the camp was often “very active” with visitors and they eventually settled on a lower number of residents after early-morning visits gave them a clearer picture. Of those, 30 have been placed in housing, according to outreach workers. Some of that is hotel-room-type housing, some is permanent supportive housing, some is temporary shelter – 1 person was even placed at Camp Second Chance, the (usually full) tiny-house village a short distance south on Myers Way.

The original vehicle count on the site was 43, and three of those were confirmed as stolen. About half the vehicles remain on site, now abandoned and – at least the ones we saw close-up – uninhabitable. We’re told notices have been sent to their registered owners, giving them 15 business days to retrieve them, or else they’ll be either towed or demolished on site.

Another number: 1,000. That’s how many hours the governor was told that workers have put in on the site. Regarding what’s going to be done to keep it from being re-occupied, we’re told the concrete barriers along Myers Way will be put back in place, and a fence will be put up from the north end of Myers Way down to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints property south of the encampment.

Aside from the abandoned, not-yet-removed vehicles (and boat), the site appeared mostly clear, except for small debris like screws and nails visible in the dirt as we walked around. The governor also paused during the tour to make a statement and answer media questions, during which he declared, “This encampment has been eliminated,” adding that the initiative isn’t just about getting “squalor” out of sight, but also about getting people into housing:

Among the next steps is a followup meeting with residents of Arrowhead Gardens, the senior-living complex across the street, which campaigned for many months to get action taken. Resident rep Diane Radischat was there to talk with Inslee:

The followup meeting is planned for September 25th.

Share This

1:05 PM: As reported here, WSDOT announced Thursday that notices had been posted at the northeast-side Myers Way encampment advising the people there that site clearing would start this week. So we went by about an hour ago to see what was happening. In view from the street were predominantly law-enforcement vehicles and officers – both Washington State Patrol and Seattle Police – as well as a few junk-hauling-type trucks and one heavy-duty truck with traffic barrels/cones (and signage).

Also notable since the last time we went by a few days ago, fewer RVs. We’ll be checking with WSDOT later today to see if there’s an update on what was done today and what’s next. The WSDOT announcement Thursday had said the plan for this week was to “begin cleaning and repairing the site, removing excess vegetation, and making other modifications at the site to help prevent resettlement.” The agency also said more than 80 percent of the known occupants of the site – 52, per previous updates – had “been matched with shelter or housing that will work for them.” If you missed the original explanation of how the placement process works, it’s in our report on the most-recent community meeting about the encampment, held in July at Arrowhead Gardens senior-living complex on the other side of Myers Way, where residents say they’ve been beset by crime and safety problems as the now-being-cleared encampment continued to grow in recent months.

P.S. The last major clearing of this site happened five years ago.

ADDED 3:14 PM: Here’s what WSDOT spokesperson James Poling told us after we requested an update: “The site was vacated by 9 a.m. this morning, thus allowing WSDOT crews and contractors to begin site cleanup and restoration work shortly afterward. Contractors had begun towing some abandoned vehicles off the site during lunchtime hours. I would expect to see rearrangement of the concrete blocks along Myers Way sometime in the next 24 hours (pending equipment availability). This site is more than 20 acres on varying terrain, so this cleanup will likely be more than a week(s) rather than days.”

Share This

WSDOT has just announced that the long-in-the-works clearing of the encampment on the east side of Myers Way is imminent:

After two months of state partners actively working with service providers, local partners, law enforcement and neighbors, WSDOT crews posted a notice to vacate the encampment at Myers Way this morning. Service providers with KCRHA (REACH and PDA/CoLEAD) have offered services and housing that would reasonably match the needs of the people on site. Over 80% of those who were staying at the site have been matched with shelter or housing that will work for them; many have already moved to those accommodations. Outreach workers will continue to help everyone who has accepted housing to move off site over the next several days. Next week, WSDOT will begin cleaning and repairing the site, removing excess vegetation and making other modifications at the site to help prevent resettlement.

Two weeks ago, in its previous update, WSDOT had said that one-third of the known 50+ people on the site had moved into housing. The last community meeting about the situation was in July, around the same time WSDOT said RVs and other vehicles needed to be removed before they blocked off access. (As is clearly visible to passers-by, some remain.) Three months have passed since West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold said the city and state – both of which are property owners in the area – were working on “resolution” of the encampment situation, following incidents including a murder. Even before that, Arrowhead Gardens residents across the street had been pleading for something to be done, citing crime and safety concerns at their senior-living complex.

Share This

This afternoon, state and local cleanup crews were at the encampment across from the Arrowhead Gardens senior-living complex on Myers Way in southeast West Seattle. After photographing what they were doing, we asked WSDOT how exactly today’s work fits into the “resolution” plan detailed at a meeting Tuesday night (WSB coverage here). Here’s what WSDOT’s Brian Nielsen subsequently said in an email update:

As mentioned on Tuesday evening, last Friday WSDOT posted notice at the Myers Way encampment sharing that all operable vehicles needed to move off the site, urging individuals who have challenges moving their vehicles to reach out to outreach teams on site for assistance. Work wrapped up yesterday to place barrier to eliminate access for any new vehicles to the site. The City of Seattle also posted “No Parking” signs on both sides of Myers Way.

This is a very important step in WSDOT and our partners’ work to manage access and inhibit growth within the encampment. We also know there are inoperable vehicles that will likely remain onsite and will be addressed once the encampment is resolved.

I’m also glad to share that the pool and associated wood fencing has been removed. I know this garnered a lot of attention and for many was a symbol of how firmly entrenched this encampment was. We were able to successfully provide housing for the individual associated with these structures. Related to some of our discussion Tuesday evening, this individual was not initially interested in moving, but felt differently after working with the outreach team.

In coordination with the City of Seattle, a significant amount of debris and trash removal also occurred today, allowing for better access and sight lines as well as removing potential flammable material. Ongoing trash pickup will continue.

Also from Nielsen’s update: “While the timeline to resolution doesn’t have exact dates, it is one based on proven results. The (state Right Of Way Safety Initiative) has successfully addressed 30 encampments statewide with over 800 housing offers matched to people’s individual needs. Of those, 694 people remain in their housing options – that’s an 85% success rate in keeping people living indoors.”

Share This

Thanks for the tips. The no-parking signs along the city’s portion of Myers Way are there because clearance work has begun on the encampments on the east side of the street; City Councilmember Lisa Herbold had said in her newsletter last Friday (as reported here) that she was told “resolution” was planned. Today, two readers told us in mid-afternoon that they had seen city vehicles and tow trucks in the area earlier; we went out immediately to look but the crews were gone, while vehicles and campers remained along the northeast end of Myers. Subsequent inquiries to city and state contacts haven’t yet yielded any information. But during the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meeting that just wrapped up, camp managers confirmed that clearance work had happened earlier today. They expressed gratitude – declaring “it was a great day for cleanups along Myers Way” – as the unsanctioned camping causes problems for their attempts to maintain order at their site on the west side of Myers. The clearance work also caused some chaos outside their gates, they said, as some east-side campers and their possessions migrated across the street. While outreach workers have been working with the east-side campers, none will wind up at Camp Second Chance, as its 64 tiny houses are fully occupied, the managers said. We hope to find out more about the east-side situation tomorrow and will check in the morning to see if crews return; the “no parking” signage carries dates running for another week-plus past today.

Share This

Due to client confidentiality, we are not able to confirm or deny if this was a program participant at Camp Second Chance or any details about their specific situation. However, I can share a couple things about our policies and how we enforce them. CSC continues to have a no-visitors policy. LIHI also strictly prohibits firearms and other weapons on the premises, as it is obviously a danger to the community, and we strictly enforce these policies. If a client is discovered with a firearm, it is a common practice that they will be immediately exited from the village and program and also a common practice that village staff will call 911 and hope that police will arrive and assist our staff with the exiting process. Both of those rules are outlined in our Code of Conduct that clients agree to as a condition of staying at CSC. If a client does have a warrant on their record, and the police arrive to enforce the warrant, we will cooperate with the police.

Court documents list the murder suspect’s “last known address” as state-operated Naselle Youth Camp, but its website says the camp has been closed since last fall. Meantime, Camara remains in jail, bail set at $2 million.

SIDE NOTE: If you have questions about the Camp Second Chance arrest or anything else about CSC, its Community Advisory Committee meets online next Tuesday (April 18th) at 6 pm, and connection/call-in information will be in our daily event list that day.

Share This