County leader proposes new security measures outside courthouse after attack

A County Council member is proposing the county fund its own additional security at the King County Courthouse after security concerns forced the closure of its Third Avenue entrance.

"Frankly, we've asked the City of Seattle repeatedly to bring emphasis patrols here," King County Council member Rod Dembowski said. "But they are short on police officers and they have a lot of demands. It is their primary responsibility to patrol this area and keep the public safe — but I am not going to let a dispute between governments put the public safety at risk."

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A violent assault on a public defender and bus driver outside the courthouse last week prompted an emergency closure on Third, shifting screeners to the courthouse's Fourth Avenue entrance. That entrance will be open full-time during the emergency closure.

"I came in on Monday morning to a small rebellion by my group of judges," Presiding Judge Jim Rogers said. "They were outraged. They had been asking for Third Avenue to be closed for some years."

Seattle police say 25-year-old Frank Hypolite randomly attacked a public defender who was walking toward the courthouse. Hypolite had been arrested four times before in the last two months for trespassing and for assault across the street from the courthouse at the DESC shelter.

Police say in October he attacked "without warning" and punched several victims there.

Hypolite pleaded guilty, was sentenced Nov. 4 and got a deferred sentence, meaning he was let out of jail.

In court records, the officer stated that upon arresting him in this most recent assault, Hypolite was asked "for his side of the story." The officer stated that "he said nothing and shook his head ‘no,' indicating he had no interest in talking."

Rogers is convening a work group to try to find solutions in 14 days.

"Right now, people won't come to court. Jurors refuse to serve. People are afraid to get justice," he said. "We do need presence — just presence — with Seattle police on Third Avenue. That presence takes down the temperature and greatly reduces, in our experience, the risk of anyone being assaulted."

According to Seattle police, from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 of this year, there were 11 assaults on the Third Avenue side of the courthouse. SPD says in the same period in 2018, there were 28; in the same period in 2017, there were 23. But courthouse employees have also said that assaults are so commonplace, some people do not report them.

The Seattle Mayor's Office did not answer when KIRO 7 asked if Mayor Jenny Durkan was committed to providing more Seattle police patrols outside the courthouse.

Dembowski said he is working on legislation to allocate emergency funding for sheriff's deputies or facilities security to be stationed outside the Third Avenue entrance. He said he expects that legislation to be before council in the next week.

"We've got to make sure we have people here during business hours on the street, in uniform, ensuring public safety," he said.

Cox Media Group