News

Library staff dealing with death threats after heroin bust

OLYMPIA, Wash. — All the staff at the Timberland library in Olympia wants to do is provide a safe and comfortable place for people to check and read books. Recently, however they have had to deal with people using heroin in the bathroom, a drug bust across the street and now death threats.

Library manager Donna Feddern said she was working Wednesday when threats were made against her staff.

"The security guard came into my office, and the man who was threatening him followed him," Feddern said.

Freddern said a man, later identified as Steven Henry, was threatening the security officer.

"He told him he was going to kill him nd he wasn't going home that night," said Freddern.

In another incident, Max Kemperin was arrested and is accused of making threatening gestures towards security officers from the window of house directly across from the library. It is the same house where police busted six people recently in a heroin case. Officers tracked the illegal activity to the house after library staff started finding evidence of people shooting up heroin in the library bathrooms and outside the building.

Olympia police suspect the threats are meant to intimidate witnesses in that case.  Feddern said the situation is frightening, but library staff will not back down when it comes to keeping their patrons safe.

"We're angry that people are trying to make us feel intimidated when we are just trying to do our jobs," said Feddern.

The security officer who was threatened was so upset that he quit, but the library now has two full-time security officers, and library visitors are proud to see officials are taking swift action to try and to keep the library safe.

Library patron Janice Holz said, "I think it's wonderful they are not willing to be intimidated. I imagine it's very scary."