(Image: Tim Durkan)
A dispute reportedly involving Broadway panhandlers in front of Dick’s Drive-In sent a man to the hospital after he was reportedly attacked with a baseball bat. UPDATE 2/25/2015: As of commenter Waste of Space so helpfully points out, video recorded by a witness shows the suspect punch the victim but not strike him with the bat-like object he is carrying.
Police and a Seattle Fire medic unit responded to Broadway — with a news helicopter not far behind — as a large crowd gathered at the scene of the assault.
The victim in the attack was placed in a neck brace before being transported to the hospital. It was believed he suffered additional injuries when his head hit the pavement after witnesses said he was struck by the bat in the altercation. His injuries were not believed to be life threatening, according to responders at the scene.
Police searched the area and Cal Anderson for a man described as Native American and wearing a black and white jacket who was seen leaving the area with the bat after the attack. There were no immediate arrests.
AMR transported man in his 50’s to HMC with minor head injury after assault @ 100 blk Broadway AV E @SeattlePD investigating
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) February 25, 2015
Sorry that was an AID CAR (BLS Unit) not a Medic Unit (ALS Unit).
thanks
If you’ve come to this post to find out why there was more helicopter activity later in the night, all we know at this point is that the sheriff’s Guardian One helicopter was up over the Central District around 8:30 PM in support of Seattle Police activity at a residence. We have not details yet on the activity.
Time to take back our streets.
I walk by Dick’s every day and the general rowdiness of that stretch of sidewalk has noticeably intensified lately. This sad news thus comes as no surprise to me. I’m not blaming Dick’s for this state of affairs (in fact I appreciate that their late hours probably make that block safer than it otherwise would be at night), but still it might behoove them to do more than just set out a charity box to siphon off some of their customers’ spare change. Specifically they might try hiring someone to be an outreach worker of sorts, someone with the skills to proactively engage the regular panhandlers and other loiterers to ascertain their needs and steer them toward agencies that could help them get off the streets, or failing that, encourage the worst of them to take it elsewhere. (I know loitering/soliciting/panhandling is legal and it probably should be – anti-loitering laws are just too ripe for abuse against political protesters and the like – but there also are legal ways of making a particular area very uncomfortable to panhandle in.)
Our economic system is highly inequitable at best and our social safety net is not what it should be – I understand that – but Seattle’s network of public and nonprofit resources is above average for a city its size and a lot of the people outside Dick’s have been standing around in the same spot almost every day for years now. Surely at least some of them could be engaging in something more constructive than just spending every day begging, even if they are conventionally “unemployable” in their present condition.
Lot of qualifiers in your comment. Still I would hope people do get help if they want it. In general though, it’s not the responsibility of companies to provide that help. Any more than QFC or Wells Fargo of T-Mobile should address issues on that block of Broadway. Do be aware that there are “store detectives” in some of these places. Plainclothes, keeping an eye on things.
That said, the companies pay taxes and that should fund programs that can help.
I’d rewrite all these rules if I could. Just stating my opinion that Dicks doesn’t own that sidewalk and isn’t responsible for it. They would have a vested interest in it to create a safer environment for customers, though an outdoor eating area at 1am is always an issue and the workers inside can’t be expected to be security. But rather call security if needed. I suppose Dicks could go Starbucks Reserve Roastery and hire security guards.
I’m really kind of astonished that Marcia would ask Dick’s to hire a social worker to mitigate the problems in front of the business. It is not Dick’s responsibility….they pay taxes to the City, which of course is where the responsibility should go….except that the Dept of Human Resources does absolutely nothing to improve the antisocial dysfunctions on our streets.
By the way, it is not legal to panhandle if the person is sitting on the sidewalk. But this is one of the many laws that are not enforced in this liberal city. The only way to reduce panhandling is to stop giving them money.
Can you imagine trying to explain to your insurance company and the State, when your fast-food employee gets injured trying to broker a peace to a sidewalk incident? Imagine that workman’s-comp claim. No company in their right mind would accept this type of liability– Not in the burger industry, anyway. Starbucks may have the $$ for this, but I’m sure Dick’s doesn’t.
Agreed, it’s not Dick’s “responsibility” to manage the sidewalk chaos, but I think it would be good for their business if they take a more proactive approach than they do now. The legal ramifications are a valid concern, but many businesses do hire external security, and I don’t see why this function can’t be combined with some kind of humane outreach within certain parameters. It could be a delicate line to walk, I’ll grant. Perhaps there is a social service agency that would be willing to provide some help here.
Dick’s Drive-In is not a social service agency, and is in no position to hire an outreach worker. However, they are very generous in their support of shelter for homeless people. The change in their boxes adds up, and the shelter I work for gets a regular and large check from them each quarter (big enough for me to wonder if they supplement it). It’s a big help, when shelters are poorly funded and ours has to hustle to provide a mat on the floor and two case managers for 200+ people. The Spady family is generous with their own resources and their time supporting basic survival services for people on the streets. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/dickrsquos-drive-in-family-leads-crowdfunding-for-homeless-kids/
In addition, they also have very good benefits for their employees, including scholarships and childcare assistance, another way to help people on the economic margins.
http://www.ddir.com/employment
The jack in the box across the st and the Taco Bell on the N side used to be 10x worse at night trust me Broadway is a lot nicer nowadays then what it used to be
The video shows a few seconds of what actually happened. I wonder why no one followed him as he walked away? I can’t believe the quality of reporting on these websites.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/man-assaulted-near-dicks-drive-/nkH9t/
why can’t people ever hold the canera still!?
Dicks is all bun and no burger.
For the life of me I don’t get what everyone loves about these nasty little burgers. I know it’s a Seattle tradition and all– but (IMO) these burgers are just plain gross. I think I’ve had maybe 3 of them in 18 years. Freddy Jr’s down the street in front of Neighbours puts them to shame, and they’re also open late when you’re wasted– which as far as I can see is Dick’s only claim to fame.
Dick’s is popular with native Seattleites who grew up with it and whose childhood tastes haven’t changed much. That’s a LOT of people right there. It also has the virtue of being substantially lower-priced than Freddy’s, Woody’s, etc., and thus it appeals to SCC students and nearby low-wage workers who may not exactly love it but find it acceptable. I agree that quality-wise it’s basically McDonald’s.