SEATTLE -- Michael Russell is homeless and says someone came by earlier this week and trashed his tent that had been standing along 30th Ave. NE in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood.
“My tent was flattened and broken and I was asking what happened," he said. "Where’s my stuff?"
Russell said dozens of cars with Bill Pierre dealership plates started appearing in place of the dozen or so makeshift shelters that had once occupied the street.
“I don’t understand why,” Russell said.
It’s unclear exactly what happened at the site.
But Karen Whittle and several homeless advocates showed up at the location Friday morning to confront the dealership, which has properties right next to the public street.
At the very least, the activists hoped to pressure the dealership to move the cars.
“I’m calling it an illegal vigilante sweep," Whittle said. "Because if they get away with what they’ve done, this is going to happen in other areas.”
On Friday afternoon, workers with the dealership came by and drove away all the vehicles.
One homeless advocate was arrested for trespassing.
KOMO News reached out to Bill Pierre for comment. Anne Bremner, the dealership's attorney, said several people threatened to destroy the cars, so they moved them.
She also sent us a statement that read in part: “Several members of the business and residential community made the hard decision to come together and help clean up a non-permitted encampment filled with human excrement, rodents, criminal activity and used needles that were unsafe for everyone. The Pierre’s support was driven only by the love they have for the community in which they live and work.”
“Personally, I feel unsupported,” said business owner Douglas Gaither, who runs Northwest Automotive, adding that city leaders like Seattle City Councilwoman Debora Juarez needs to come to the site and help since this is her district. No one from her office responded to inquiries from KOMO News. “We are put in a position where we have to go out (and) we monitor these people."
Russell is now getting ready to move back into his same spot.
“ What about the stuff I did lose and the stuff I can't replace?” he said.
Homeless advocates like Whittle said they will continue to monitor the situation.
“And I will stay out here as long as I need to," Whittle said. "To look out for them."