Who the hell is running? Murder suspect Travis Berge had racked up over 100 police contacts, dozens of civil infractions, and 47 criminal cases, one an attempted rape, in the five years he lived in Seattle. On September 18, he was found dead at the bottom of a 10-foot deep tank filled with 50 gallons of a 12% bleach solution. Why wasn’t he in jail long ago?
Earlier in the day, the fire department and police were called to Cal Anderson Park, near the former, now-infamous, “CHOP zone” to tend to an “unresponsive female” found in a makeshift shelter there.
Their efforts were unsuccessful. She was pronounced dead at the scene, victim of a homicide. Witnesses on the scene explained that the woman and Berge had a domestic relationship. Initial observations indicate she was beaten to death.
Police were then made aware that someone had broken into the pump house on the west side of the park. They went to the location, where they found Berge. He barricaded himself inside, and a four hour long standoff ensued.
After a SWAT team arrived, police entered the building and discovered Berge’s body at the bottom of a tank filled with 50 gallons of bleach, used to treat the city’s drinking water supply.
Thus ended the criminal career and reign of terror imposed on the people of Seattle by Travis Berge. Significantly, the criminal courts and justice system in Seattle had nothing to do with it.
That’s how the criminal justice system seems to “work” in Seattle. Unless the criminal solves the problem himself or herself, the problem continues.
And supposedly we the normals are supposed to allow this type of behavior to happen…because? Everyone has the right to express themselves as they see fit, everyone is a special entity and needs to find themselves, everyone has special talents that need to be expressed?
Can I just say that society SHOULD have certain norms that people are held to. Certain norms that really shouldn’t be broken. Certain norms that would get your tush either tossed into jail or at least placed in a mental institution for therapy. And don’t cry me a river about the people that placed in mental institutions needlessly. Those were just a minor amount that shouldn’t negate the large amount that needed that style of living.