STRONG CONVICTION: @realmikesolan held Fri. press conf. supporting @SeattlePD officers. He also discussed being targeted by “fringe activists.” Remember, they marched to his home and tried to burn down @SPOG1952 headquarters. He sees they’re also going after journalists like me.
DIFFERENT WORLDVIEW: Interaction with an activist during height of Seattle’s riots.
ACTIVIST: You’re right wing media(KOMO) and putting these protestors in harms way by showing their faces.
ME: Huh? You’re on public property damaging buildings. Im just recording your actions.
SEVEN HILLS PARK ENCAMPMENT CLEARING BEHIND THE SCENES: This happened to our crew just a few weeks ago. We were confronted and demonized for showing this reality in Capitol Hill. City moved in days later and cleared this problematic camp. #Seattle
SEATTLE CITY HALL PARK ENCAMPMENT SWEEP: This past summer, we extensively covered the crime, drug use, shootings, and deaths associated with this park next to the King Co. Courthouse. Final day, this person with mutual aid kept coming at the KOMO crew with aggressive behavior.
FINAL DAYS OF CAL ANDERSON PARK HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT: Let’s not forget this debacle back in Dec 2020. Before the city moved in to clear it, every time KOMO crews showed up to film, we had to deal with people threatening us to leave. In the end, the city won and order was restored.
ANOTHER WELL KNOWN MEDIA HECKLER: As we filmed final days of Cal Anderson Park encampment, this fella tried to disrupt our gathering process. He followed us around Capitol Hill. My security finally intervened after he made contact with us. @mattmarkovich knows him well.
ANTIFA BLACK BLOC: This was another classic moment in 2020. These violent activists surrounded Cal Anderson Park. When we showed up to do interviews, they started throwing rocks and bottles at us. Even with security, we left immediately and went LIVE in a safer location.
ACCUSED OF BEING FASCIST: I was in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood this past September, and this kid rolls up and starts to swear at me. I was a little taken aback. My photog and I rolled. He also referenced @MrAndyNgo
This is when I knew my reporting was having an impact.
BAILED OUT BY SEATTLE POLICE: Multiple incidents like this. We’re gathering and then some random dude comes up and starts to berate us for being KOMO TV. To this day I still don’t know who this @SeattlePD officer is, but I want to thank him.
SUMMER OF LOVE 2020: @KIRO7Seattle@KING5Seattle@fox13seattle@komonews reporters and photogs had umbrellas shoved in our faces covering multiple riots, like this one where Antifa/ black bloc folk hijacked a protest and torched the new youth jail being built in Seattle.
FELT HORRIBLE FOR THIS PHOTOG: What are they trying to hide? ☂ ☔️ Moments later, violent activists torched buildings and went on a rampage, also targeting corporate owned biz like @Starbucks and @amazon#Seattle#SummerOfLove
THIS WAS SCARY: I got separated from my security guard. As I was recording the violent activists vandalizing @WholeFoods in Seattle’s First Hill, the guy with this beak mask tried to stop me from recording. He grabbed my phone, but I wrestled him to the ground and got it back.
UNIDENTIFIED ATTACKER: First time I am publicly talking about this incident. Many of my journo colleagues know. This is the guy who assaulted me and tried to take my phone. He also chased me through the crowd, but I managed to escape just with this banged up elbow. #SummerofLove
SOMEONE MUST HAVE RECORDED? If anyone has video from July 25,2020 and captured this assault near @WholeFoods on First Hill, please let me know. It’s even more proof that journos in America are also being targeted for doing their jobs. @pressfreedom
NEEDS ANOTHER HOBBY: So this is one of the many threatening and hateful DM’s I’ve received. But this person’s been relentlessly coming at me since last year. Is it worth reporting to @Twitter? 🤷🏾♂️ #Seattle
THIS IS A NEW ONE: Never been called a “White Nationalist.”
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BREAKING: Controversial homeless housing provider Plymouth Housing will now be running operations at the former Kirkland La Quinta Inn on 10530 Northup Way. Despite major opposition, the city council voted unanimously to allow it into the community. 🧵👇
Under King County's "Health Through Housing," neighbors expressed concerns about hardcore drug use and other problems spilling into the community. That's because Plymouth subscribes to the low barrier "housing first" model where addicts are not required to get treatment.
King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci is applauding this move in her district.
Today's press release did not indicate when the Kirkland location would open.
I just confronted a homeless fentanyl addict ransacking the Target store inside the Bellevue Marketplace at Factoria. I watched him fill his cart with stolen items and walk out. Workers say this happens daily. Mall security eventually stopped him but did not call cops to arrest him. Now you know why everyday household items are locked up. All part of doing business in lawless King County.
Mr. sticky fingers says he's homeless and lives on the streets of Seattle. Mall workers say he's been spotted in Bellevue before and likely uses public transportation to go back and forth. Aside from the braided hair, he's missing a few teeth and has a tattoo on his right hand.
Dude is sporting a jacket with a red pentagram drawn with a marker.
Alleged con man Steve Hickey could be facing disciplinary action or even stripped of his role as King County Fire Commissioner. The District #47 board will meet Tuesday at 7pm in Ravensdale to decide his fate. Hickey has been under investigation and on leave after multiple first responders accused him of abusing his power on the job. Some say Hickey demonstrated bad judgement when he prioritized live streaming on his social media platforms over the safety of patients in need.
Tuesday's Board Meeting will be held at Station 88 in Ravensdale from 7pm-9pm. More details below. The public is welcome and the room is expected to be packed with Hickey's critics.
Squatters and deadbeat tenants beware! The public shaming rallies continue this Saturday at the Maple Valley Farmer's Market. Homeowner Katrina Freitag is leading the charge and will be joined by other mom & pop landlords struggling to remove these alleged con men and women.🧵👇
Freitag is in a ferocious fight with Hickey who refuses to leave her house in nearby Ravensdale.
After our expose, Hickey's entire reputation as a King County Fire Commissioner and independent journalist is now on the line.
Standing by Freitag on Saturday will be Bellevue mom & pop landlord Jaskaran Singh, who made global headlines for his battle against Sang and Youjin Kim. They're now facing eviction for the fourth time after failing to pay rent on a $2M house in Bellevue.
Depending who you ask, King County Fire Commissioner Steve Hickey is a serial con artist or a faithful public servant moonlighting as an independent journalist. Either way, he's now facing numerous legal challenges and his entire reputation is on the line.
In part two of our series, YouTube journalist Tyler Oliveira(@tyleraloevera) and I take a closer look at fresh allegations and Hickey's troubled past.
In part one, Oliveira and I confronted Hickey with squatting claims. He's refusing to leave a house belonging to another woman, claiming it should be his. Hickey has already been sanctioned in court for not providing all documents during discovery.
Hickey files are now open. More Seattle media digging. The current controversy revolves around his role as a King County Fire Commissioner. He's on leave from duties as the investigation into his alleged abuse of power continues.
BREAKING: Embattled King County Fire District 47 Commissioner Steve Hickey announced Friday evening that he's taking a leave of absence. Multiple sources tell me Hickey is accused of abusing his power on the job and using station equipment to grow his social media profile.
A first responder says after showing up to an emergency scene, Hickey "does a triage, requests a motor vehicle accident response, and then goes back to his car and live streams on TikTok before fire even arrives, leaving his patient with PD that he just triaged."
All of this comes to light after YouTube journalist Tyler Oliveira(@tyleraloevera) and I launched an investigation into Hickey's alleged "squatting" in a Ravensdale house. He's also accused of construction hustles claiming dozens of victims.