Sand Point Elementary Incident Update

Update #1

Here's a link to a psych evaluation of the suspect in November 2021. It is shocking reading. Main findings:

- In consideration of these factors, I am of the opinion that Mr. Harasam currently lacks the capacities to understand the nature of the proceedings against him and to assist his counsel in his own defense. (bold theirs)

- The Court’s order indicated that at least one of the charges is designated as a “serious offense” as defined in RCW 10.77.092. Should the Court find that Mr. Harasam is not competent to stand trial and that he meets the criteria for competency restoration treatment, psychiatric treatment is recommended in order to assist in improving his mental condition so that his competency may be restored.

- Mr. Harasam is and therefore is under continuous monitoring for discharge readiness. Considering this, an additional evaluation by a Designated Crisis Responder for civil commitment under RCW 71.05 does not appear to be warranted at this time.

- This from October 2021, Harasam "presents as guarded with paranoia demeanor..."

- It appears he takes drugs (he refused several urine tests) and, at some points, takes medication for mental issues. 

- His personal history is redacted but it sounds like he may have immigrated to the U.S. in 2012 and was living with his grandmother. He had attended school but did not finish high school; he was tired of going and had multiple suspensions for pot. Wonder if that was an SPS high school? 

- The evaluation references time after time that he is arrested. It sounds like a lot of low-level crime but it sure adds up. Even though it is stated that he can't help with his defense, he certainly seems to know what crime is a misdemeanor and what crime is a felony. When he was arrested after the Sand Point incident, he allegedly shouted  that the police had no "probable cause." 

The evaluation mentions him having a knife or other weapon at some point. He tried to set cars on fire. 

It sounds like it depends on the day how he behaves. But it really sounds like he should be nowhere near children - ever. Things could have been much worse at Sand Point Elementary and we should all be glad nothing physically serious happened to any student. 

What's a little frightening is that he is likely to get out of jail fairly soon and may go back to that homeless encampment near View Ridge Swim and Tennis Club. And start all over again. 

end of update

 I've found out more details and they are troubling. 

Again, this situation came in four parts - the suspect scaling a fence at the View Ridge Swim and Tennis Club, the suspect climbing a fence into Sand Point Elementary School, the suspect attempting to take a DHL van and then assaulting the driver who tried to stop him, and then the police getting on a Metro bus that the suspect had got onto after running from the scene of the DHL incident.

SPD put out a timeline (see below) in response to a media query (not mine) - this was on Twitter:

So, I interviewed Bruce Gillespie, manager of the club. He is named in the police report but where he was or who he is was not in the report so I can see how someone reading the report would assume he was at the school. 

Mr. Gillespie told me the following (and I so appreciate his help). 

The club has video cameras and they recorded the suspect scaling their fence at 12:58 pm. The club has "guards" on-site and one saw the suspect going into the locker room and ran to stop him. The suspect had no interaction with the middle school swim party happening at the time. One guard had called 911 from a landline.

The club has actually practiced safety drills and had started shutting off the main gate entrance and was using a side entrance for private parties as was happening that day. Their guards opened the main gate and got the suspect to leave. 

Mr. Gillespie was not on-site at the time but lives only blocks away. He was notified and went to the club to talk to the employees. He then drove around and spotted the suspect who was wearing a distinctive black shirt with pink lettering that said, "Chillin'". He followed the suspect for 20 minutes but then lost him when the suspect went to the back of a housing complex. Gillespie, at some point, called 911 on his cell phone and see that 13:55 SPD notation above? That's probably Gillespie's call to 911. 

To note, this is not the first time that the club has had intruder issues. Gillespie noted that there has been a homeless encampment at Magnuson Park for nearly a year. He said his staff had seen an individual in the locker room and after that, numerous people reported stolen phones and wallets. The police figured out who it was and that person was a resident at the encampment and was ID'ed by club staff as the person who had been in their locker room. 

And, he said this wasn't the first time that this suspect had come onto club premises. Gillespie said he did report it to 911 at the time but no police report was taken. 

Gillespie said about half hour after he had returned to the club, he could hear sirens, many of them. His wife called him from where she worked and said there were several police cars near her. He got into his car and went to the scene - the last place, a Metro bus, where police finally stopped the suspect. He said he saw the person on the gurney and believed from his features and the distinctive shirt that it was the same person who had come onto the club property earlier. 

He said that the club has new safety measures in place because of the incidents that have happened in the past. 

Gillespie also said that he supports the police, that they may be understaffed and are doing the best they can. 

In terms of the timeline, it appears that SPD is saying they dispatched two squad cars to Sand Point ES but only one got there before the suspect fled. 

SPD says they were enroute to the school twice but the police report and Mr. Gillespie's account don't back that up. 

SPS remains silent as do the Seattle Times and KUOW.