Slog
News & ArtsFriday, March 22, 2013
City The Story of How I Was Detained and Almost Arrested This Afternoon
Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Mar 22, 2013 at 6:39 PM
In the course of reporting a story about aPodments and low-income housing, I was detained by a Belltown print shop and almost arrested this afternoon.
Here's a little background: I've been researching a hubbub about a 65-unit apartment building proposed by Plymouth Housing. The nonprofit builds homes for people who are transitioning off the streets and into stable residences, and it's planning the seven-story structure near Third Avenue and Virginia Street. Some neighbors oppose this project.
Two large, glossy mailers have been sent to nearby residents under the banner of the Downtown Seattle Neighbors Alliance, which encourages people to protest this building. In a series of questions that read more like accusations, the mailers argue this could be a magnet for criminals. The most recent mailer (.pdf) asks if it will qualify as a high-impact use under city law, making a "dangerous and/or noxious" presence and if it "has the potential for causing major community or health impacts." The mailers ask if it might require 24-hour police surveillance. The mailers even say that the residents will be homeless people who have failed in previous housing, even though Plymouth says that is "misleading" because the building will actually be designated solely for residents who "have demonstrated a long-term track record of stable and successful tenancy with Plymouth."
But who is the Downtown Seattle Neighbors Alliance—who do they represent?
- Who is this group?
That's what I wanted to know—because the alliance has no online presence or phone number. But this group's media campaign is generating letters of protest, such as one complaint obtained by The Stranger that says this project presents a "danger as a result of addicts and mental patients and unstable individuals occupying the streets."
Some calls led me to Swifty Printing, which is located immediately next door to the proposed construction site. "The owners of the adjacent building own a printing company and are responsible for the mailing," says Bryan Sevens, spokesman for the city's Department of Planning and Development. At a recent design review meeting, held by the city, one of the shop's owners said he was a member. So I called Swifty Printing last week and asked if they were involved in the group and indeed printed the flyer. Answering the phone was Jack Nikfard, who said he was a partner in the company, and he said the business was a member, but he refused to answer any questions. He said I had to e-mail Lori at their group's e-mail account that was printed on the flyers.
I e-mailed Lori—as others have before me—but I never heard back. Lori seems to be the same Lori Nikfard with whom George and Jack Nikfard share property on Lake Sammamish, according to King County property records.
But I wanted to be certain that these people were printing the flyers. I wanted to ask if the "Downtown Seattle Neighbors Alliance" is just these few people, people who conveniently own a printing shop and are immediately next door to this project, or if there is anyone else involved in this "alliance." Anyone at all.
So I ventured down to Swifty today to ask.
When I arrived, I immediately asked the man behind behind the counter if he was Mr. Nikfard, and he said he was. I then asked, "Are you George or Jack Nikfard?" When he demurred, I asked if he is "the man I spoke to on the phone last week, and is your wife Lori Nikfard, because I'm wondering..." He cut me off. "Why do you want to know about my wife?" I began to explain that I was a reporter and that I didn't want to know about his wife; I was trying to figure out if he was Jack Nikfard, the same person I spoke to last week. He cut me off and began yelling.
The gist of his yells was that he would call the cops and I should leave, so I proceeded toward the door.
But he began to call the police anyhow. I gave them my business card to verify that I was, indeed, a reporter, adding that I was only trying to make sure I was talking to the right person. But as I was walking out, something crazy happened: A man came out from behind the counter, grabbed my arm, and pushed me away from the door, into a corner of the store, so I couldn't leave.
"You need to stay here," Nikfard barked. On the phone with police, he said his name was George and he accused me of "harassing" him. So, literally backed into a corner, I stayed put until the police arrived. "Stay right here," he told me again.
Of course I stayed put. I never resisted—I had only asked him preliminary questions and wasn't breaking any laws—so I was happy to explain myself to the cops.
Officer Michael Virgilio arrived at the scene after a few minutes.
"I want to make harassment charges because he has no business in here," Nikfard explained. He said a video camera in the room had recorded the entire incident.
With my turn to speak, I explained that I was trying to leave—this was undisputed—and that if, indeed, that camera caught it all on tape, I'd be happy to enter it as a court record that showed me walking in, asking a couple questions, and then trying to exit the shop.
"Asking questions is not harassment," Officer Virgilio told the printer, adding, "It doesn't fit harassment charges because you asked him to leave and he was trying to leave."
So I felt obligated to flip the coin: I asked the officer if they had they possibly assaulted me (given that I was trying to leave and they grabbed me, pushed me, and detained me against my will)? Am I the one who could arguably be pressing charges?
Yes, Officer Virgolio confirmed.
So if anything, the person committing a crime here could be the employee of this print shop. I declined to file a police report—it was already such a stupid waste of police resources, I didn't want to burden them any further—but the irony was too much to bear: They claimed in mailers that the homeless people outside were the ones breaking the law, but when a reporter approached them to confirm the mailers, they appeared to be breaking the law. They approached this dispute about Plymouth as if they just want to ask questions, but if someone asks them questions, they go completely berserk. They act as if they represent a community, but if a community interest sheds any light on them, they retract into their shell.
And then the best part of all happened.
When Officer Virgolio asked about the Downtown Seattle Neighbors Association mailer, one of the employees offered to retrieve a copy. He went behind the counter and returned with a crisp, unmailed copy of the mailer... which confirmed the mailers came from their shop.
Seattle is a lucky, lucky city—cranes are swiveling across our skyline and sidewalks are closed at every other turn for construction projects. Development is booming at full volume after the recession, while other cites are still doing their warm ups. We're also hearing lots of complaints, not surprisingly, from neighborhood busybodies just like during our last boom. But the complaints this time are of a different pitch. Back in 2004 to 2007, we used to hear more squealing about losing neighborhood "character" to unfamiliar town houses, about six-story buildings supposedly "out of scale" with the structures nearby. This time it's less about the shape of buildings, it seems, and instead about the class of the people who will live in them. The furor of Capitol Hill residents over aPodments, for example, is the screech of the wealthy and anchored who fear an influx of the young and mobile. And the latest battle cry is from businesses that—quite boldly—don't want poor people living nearby and are apparently willing to do extraordinary things to conceal their identity and punish anyone who dares to expose them.
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Whoa! Hold-the-fuck-up here. I had NO IDEA that there were real reporters on the Stranger's staff. Seriously? Reporters? Fo realz? No shit?
I thought this was just a jerkwater progressive web log, spouting Liberal hate, hypocrisy and dissention.
Wow, real reporters. Who woulda known?
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@1 Please. At least make an effort to learn to try to be clever.
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I love your stuff btw.
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Well, you did pretty darn good on the name-taking. You just need a little work on the ass-kicking. You know?... The Stranger really ought to have a litigious attorney on retainer. He'd easily become an important profit center, considering some of the egregious shitheads you guys encounter.
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I bet they have guns. Wouldn't be a bad idea for the cops to check up on them from time to time. Hell of a lot better profile than brown skin, you know SPD?
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Oh dear...
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Spearheaded by articles in the Stranger and Slog.
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#1: You should have pressed charges. The cop was already there and that's not ok to be physically detained against your will by someone. In addition, you wrote this blog entry and mentioned names, so it would have given a little more credibility to what we are now forced to assume are the facts.
#2: You didn't "almost" get arrested by your own account. Sounds like the SPD acted pretty fucking reasonably considering that they agreed that you hadn't done anything wrong, released you without any further drama, and provided the option for you to press charges should you have chosen. Nice spin though.
#3: You and this business owner have taken all meaningful and reasonable discussion off the table on this issue for many people. They are trying to spin things to make people afraid of the people who will live there, and you are making them out to be class warfare waging agenda driven devils who disparage a noble, liberal, humanitarian cause that takes innocents off the streets and transitions them into restaurant going "members of the press" like yourself.
#4: These guys are really strange and certainly seem to have some hidden agenda or frustration. That said, while it's not an indictment of all people who are low income or are transitioning from the streets, it's ridiculous to ignore the higher statistical correlation between an apartment community like the one proposed and for example, another fucking AVA building.
#5: Why don't you do some real journalism if you're a real member of the press and use your clear talent for writing and cool headedness to put out something that is representative of the facts of the matter, even ones unsavory to your political or social ideals (e.g. - crime statistics for similar projects). It would do much more credit to you and the Stranger than this deluded and self-serving rant of liberal martyrdom.
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FWIW Swifty is one of the city's preferred printers. They get a lot of the various department's business.
#1. You are ridiculous
#2. Walking into a public business and asking the owners to comment on their political activities is real journalism, dumbass.
#3 We need more first person reporting instead of the media that just parrots the same pablum from the AP. More reporters, commentators, bloggers, writers, etc. should get off their asses and try talking to people in the community before writing about a subject.
#4 I'm no Dominic fanboy, I don't know jack about him or his credentials. Even if he's not Woodward or Bernstein, I do know hitting the pavement and talking to people is good journalism.
#5 what would you know about reporting while sitting there armchair quarterbacking?
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I think you should change the title. Something like "The Story of How I the Police Were Called When I Asked Questions" or maybe something else that does include the CITIZEN detention you suffered from. But do not imply police misconduct.
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An earnest question: why didn’t you identify yourself sooner as a writer – not reporter – for The Stranger? “Immediately” asking a string of questions regarding personal information without identifying yourself first would surely set off anyone.
The hyperbole of your situation is a bit of hack writing, or at least heavy-handed for a writer such as yourself. You can do better, Dominic, so be better.
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A few listings in the WA court records. Mostly District/ Muni court (usually moving violations, possibly nickle ante criminal or collections), nothing remarkable, but they could provide clues as to who this guy is.
A 52 year old looser realtor who uses his dad's address and appears to have time on his hands. Sheesh.
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Wow, Dom. You have a much cooler head than I. This was an extremely interesting read.
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That others are perceiving these apodments for what they are...SRO hotels for derelicts.
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There is a difference, Dominic. We both know that. Don't conflate the two.
Further, with a public trial attached, the story would likely have blown up big enough to substantially raise awareness of our city's deplorable battle over low-income housing. But without the police records to back it up, your story could be cast as just another bitter rant from an axe-grinding "liberal" blogger who may or may not be playing fast and loose with the facts.
The very worst consequence of your inaction, however, is the fact that an apparent psychopath who allegedly assaulted and possibly kidnapped you will not get the reality check in front of a judge that he so desperately needs. His next victim might not walk away so easily as you.
That's not journalism.
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http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Profi…
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I suspect every small-time printer secretly harbors a belief that they are the next Thomas Paine or Ben Franklin; soon to spark the Great Revolution with their stunning printed broadsheets and oh-so-very fiery handbills!
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Times New Roman and Comic Fucking Sans for chrissake?
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Reading comprehension is your friend.
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The furor of Capitol Hill residents over aPodments, for example, is the screech of the wealthy and anchored who fear an influx of the young and mobile. And the latest battle cry is from businesses that—quite boldly—don't want poor people living nearby and are apparently willing to do extraordinary things to conceal their identity and punish anyone who dares to expose them.
Certainly you'd agree that that paragraph belongs in s story that was actually about aPODments and not in a story about low-income halfway houses?
I emailed a reply to them, Plymouth Housing Group, and the Department of Planning & Development, and posted it online here: "How To Handle Haters In The City (neighborsalliance@yahoo.com): DSNA Smack-down" (http://goo.gl/SifBF)
Yes, Seattle is lucky to have its pedestrian walkways impeded by rampant corporatism. I thought The Stranger was supposed to be progressive?
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So what did we learn? NIMBYs are NIMBYs and setting up a halfway house for homeless people next to your work, is something most people are not going to be happy about.
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I kinda miss 'ol crankypants and his silly presumptions and false equivalencies.
C'est la Vie.
that being said your rights certainly were infringed upon and that sucks.
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