[EVERETT, Wash] – (MTN) According to the family, charges stemming from a May 17 incident between an 11-year old child with significant autism and two Snohomish County Sheriff Deputies were dropped by prosecutors. The child, who we are not naming, was charged with two counts of assault 3. The police report never mentioned the child’s impairment and listed her as being 12 years old, not 11. In Washington state the age of culpability is 8 years old, however, the court must prove that a juvenile who is 8 to 11 years old is capable of understanding their actions and the potential consequences.
Last week we reported that an altercation with the child involving a school bus driver and an assistant resulted in a 911 call when she boarded the bus to go to school. When Snohomish County deputies arrived, the child was in the home with her mother, Lori Helmy. Deputies claim that the child charged at them, kicking one in the groin. The report says, “Due to [the child’s] size, it did not cause Deputy Watts to be immobilized.”
The report goes on to say the child struggled with both officers, called them “animals” and “pigs,” and said if she had a knife, “she would stab them with it.” The report adds, “Deputy Watts and Deputy Carson both did not have marks from the assault on them, but both had transient pain well after the incident.”
In addition to the questions raised about age of culpability per Washington law, medical records released to Malcontent News show the child has significant impairment due to autism.
A report from Northwest Neuropsychology Learning and Behavioral Services of Bellevue from February 25, 2020, concludes that there is a “significant issue with perceptual reasoning” and “significant sensory issues that include easily hyper aroused which triggers dysregulation.” The report further states that she is “severely impaired in all aspects of community living.”
Despite the police report having her stated age wrong and her established medical history, Snohomish County prosecutors initially moved forward with the felony charges.
[EVERETT, Wash] – (MTN) Snohomish County prosecutors have charged an 11-year old autistic girl with two felony counts of assault 3 after a May 17 incident in Everett. In a police report, officers claim that although they were no visible injuries to either officer, the child’s words and actions warranted the charges against her. Despite the child not being of the age of culpability in Washington, flaws in the police report, and documentation of significant mental impairment, prosecutors continued to move forward with the criminal charges. Malcontent News is not identifying the child by name because this is a juvenile case.
An altercation with the child involving a school bus driver and an assistant resulted in a 911 call when she boarded the bus to go to school. When Snohomish County deputies arrived, the child was in the home with her mother, Lori Helmy. Deputies claim that the child charged at them, kicking one in the groin. The report says, “Due to [the child’s] size, it did not cause Deputy Watts to be immobilized.”
The report goes on to say the child struggled with both officers, called them “animals” and “pigs,” and said if she had a knife, “she would stab them with it.” The report adds, “Deputy Watts and Deputy Carson both did not have marks from the assault on them, but both had transient pain well after the incident.”
“Watts said due to [the child’s] actions, he believed she would carry out the threat of stabbing the Deputies with it,” a deputy claims.
According to a report issued by the Snohomish County Sheriff, the justification for referring the child for criminal charges was, “Due to [the child] being 12 years old and her actions (verbal and physical) I believe she knew she was using unwanted force against both Deputies.” But there are significant problems with the case.
The child involved is 11 years old, not 12, and had only recently had her 11th birthday at the time of the incident. In Washington state, the age of culpability is eight years old per RCW 9A.04.050. In the section called People capable of committing crimes – Capability of Children, the law states, “Children under the age of eight years are incapable of committing crime. Children of eight and under twelve years of age are presumed to be incapable of committing crime, but this presumption may be removed by proof that they have sufficient capacity to understand the act or neglect, and to know that it was wrong.“
In the charging documents sent to the parent, the child’s birthday is correctly listed as April 12, 2010, making her 11 years old at the time of the incident. She is listed as 4’10” tall and weighing 115 pounds. Deputies claim they had significant challenges in restraining the child as she kicked and yelled at them.
At no time did she possess a knife or attack deputies with any physical item. The report does say that she grabbed keys at one point and claimed she would stab deputies. Her mother was able to restrain her per the police report, and the child relinquished the keys without contacting the officers or requiring their intervention. According to Ms. Helmy, deputies escalated the situation due to their conduct, would not listen to her advice on assisting her daughter, and ignored her statements that she is 11 years old.
In addition to the questions raised about age of culpability per Washington law, medical records released to Malcontent News show the child has significant impairment due to autism.
A report from Northwest Neuropsychology Learning and Behavioral Services of Bellevue from February 25, 2020, concludes that there is a “significant issue with perceptual reasoning” and “significant sensory issues that include easily hyper aroused which triggers dysregulation.” The report further states that she is “severely impaired in all aspects of community living.”
Despite the police report having her stated age wrong and her established medical history, Snohomish County prosecutors moved forward with the felony charges. The first hearing was scheduled for July 19, but the incident has put Ms. Helmy’s child into an emotional spiral, and the juvenile is currently hospitalized.
The court would only delay the initial hearing for two weeks, pending the child’s release from the hospital. At the time of publication, the public defender’s office has stated that a motion to dismiss is with the court.
Upon hearing the news from the public defender’s office, Ms. Helmy said, “Dropping charges is not good enough. Had my daughter known what she was doing, there would be real consequences. The cop knew what he was doing and there needs to be real consequences.”
According to Mental Health America, Washington state ranks 43rd in the nation for youth mental health while ranking number 3 (including the District of Columbia) for the number of mentally ill residents. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, 58% of inmates in Washington state are in treatment for mental illness when they are incarcerated.
The Snohomish County Prosector’s Office and Snohomish County Sheriff Department did not respond to our request for a statement. At the time of publication, the child’s public defender had not provided any additional information.
[TACOMA] – (MTN) COVID numbers in Pierce County continue to worsen with metrics for cases per 100,000 and hospitalizations indicating the county should move to Phase 1 under the Healthy Washington plan implemented on March 11. On May 4, to the surprise of the business community and health leaders, Washington Governor Jay Inslee suspended the Healthy Washington plan for 2 weeks, based on data from the Washington State Department of Health (DoH) that cases were reaching a plateau. The next evaluation will be on May 17.
In the latest data from the DoH, Pierce County has 367 cases per 100,000 and 12.1% of acute care beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. Although the case number has improved, the positivity rate has jumped to 12.3%, which indicates significant under testing and widespread community transmission. Only 35% of the population of Pierce County is vaccinated against coronavirus, the lowest among the most populated counties in the state.
Pierce County COVID Scorecard for May 8, 2021
Snohomish County has also seen cases per 100,000 drop slightly to 225.4 while the positivity rate has increased to 7.5%, which indicates under testing within the community. ICU utilization has increased significantly in the last week to 73%, and 19.1% of all ICU patients have COVID.
King County has seen cases per 100,000 drop to 249.1, which is still well over the number required to stay in Phase 2. The positivity rate has crept upward to 5.5%, which ICU utilization has fallen to 84.2%, which is considered high.
King County COVID Scorecard for May 8, 2021
Incentives are growing to increase vaccination numbers
COVID vaccine demand is declining significantly across the United States, leading many health officials to believe that the country will never achieve herd immunity. Locally, businesses and other organizations are working on promotions to encourage vaccination.
The Seattle Mariners announced that from May 6 to June 2, 5,000 additional seats will be made available for home games with discounted tickets priced at $10 or $20. Tickets are available in the outfield bleachers, the 300 section, and the 100 section.
Additional benefits include exclusive access to the T-Mobile Pen and Trident Deck, which has remained closed due to social distancing rules, a 20% discount on in-park food, a 20% discount at the team store, and special entrances to the park. Through May 19, vaccinated fans and their children can also receive a SEA Us Rise Mariners T-Shirt.
Social distancing is not required in the section, but mask wear is. Individuals over 16 years old must present a valid, signed CDC vaccination card and had their final dose 14 days or more before entry. Children from 2 to 15 don’t need to be vaccinated but are required to show proof of a negative COVID test no more than 72 hours before game time, and must be masked at all times. Tickets for the vaccinated section cannot be resold or gifted.
Additionally, private suites for 14 to 26 vaccinated fans are available. The Mariners indicated that any ticket holder for the designated vaccination sections who cannot provide proof of vaccination or a child who cannot provide a required negative COVID test will not be allowed entry into the park.
Numerous vaccination sites are also offering gift cards and certificates and other incentives to vaccination holdouts.
For those thinking they’ll print their own vaccination card or buy a fake one, be warned it comes with a stiff penalty. Because a valid vaccination card comes with a government seal on it, the production of a fake one is a federal felony. Penalties, if convicted, include fines up to $5,000 and up to 5 years in prison for each offense.
Updated: April 5, 2021 @ 9:30 AM to include a statement from the Marysville police.
[MARYSVILLE] – (MTN) Parents and students gathered in Comeford Park on Saturday to express their anger at the Marysville School District’s handling of threats against students. JJ Frank, the parent of a student threatened with death due to her race, held a press conference with city, county, and Black leaders, speaking to a diverse crowd of supporters.
“I’m here in the capacity as a father,” Frank told the crowd. “I’m hearing that these students that made these death threats said it was just a joke. When another student threatens another student’s life and says that they want to kill him, that is not a joke.”
“When another student threatens another student’s life that threatens all of our children’s lives, let us not turn a blind eye because these were Black students and minority students that our lives are any less,” Frank continued. “Black lives do matter.”
Two students at Marysville Pilchuck High School made death threats in December 2020. In that incident, which Malcontent News reported, the students received a short suspension and moved to a different high school. The Snohomish County prosecutor officers did not pursue charges stating that one family did not want to press charges and the students posed a low risk after a threat assessment. They were both referred to a deferment program through the juvenile court. Malcontent News is not naming the students or victims as they are juveniles.
Frank spoke about the incident during his speech on Saturday in vivid detail. “They said, what about that n*****’s sister? They said, yeah, we want to kill that n******.” This is in the police report.”
“They said that they wanted to kill my daughter, my 15-year-old daughter,” Frank said fighting back his tears as Black leaders gathered around him to provide support.
Screen capture of the Snapchat threat made on the same account as a student that made death threats in a December 2020 Zoom meeting
In the second incident, a January 2021 Snapchat message stating, “killing minorities soon,” showing a white hand holding a handgun, was made from the same phone and e-mail address of one of the students involved in the Zoom meeting. That student denies that they made the post and that a 20-years old relative did it. The 20-year old has not been named but is a son of a Marysville police officer. Because of the conflict of interest, Marysville police moved the criminal investigation to the Snohomish County Sheriff.
Frank accused the Marysville School District of misrepresented the status of the students after this second incident. He claims the district told him the students had been removed from school again, which they haven’t.
In response to growing media coverage, the school district released a statement. “In recent days, information about incidents against students of color, specifically Black/African American students, were shared publicly in the news, on social media, and through community forums. These incidents included online threats made against Black/African American students and confirms Marysville School District’s recognition and acknowledgment that racism and hate continue to exist in our community.”
“We will strive to do everything in our power to make certain that each student we serve feels safe physically, socially, emotionally, and free from racial or other forms of discrimination.”
For Marysville residents, many we spoke to expressed concern about the existing threats, given the history of a prior mass shooting event at Marysville Pilchuck High School. Later in the afternoon, a Black Lives Matter rally was held on the Salvation Army’s roof about a mile away. As a band played and a small group solicited support from the cars passing by, many drivers honked and waved. One person confronted the group briefly, asking when they would start breaking windows. A couple of pickup trucks circled the group, with one driver making a white power symbol as they created a black cloud of exhaust.
According to a KOMO news article, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s department has completed its investigation into the January incident and has recommended criminal charges to the prosecutor’s office.
The Marysville Police also released a statement on April 2. ” I want to update the Marysville community that this investigation is now complete. The Major Crimes Detectives from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office have referred this case to the Snohomish County Prosecutor with a recommended charge of hate crime, RCW 9A.36.080(7). The Sheriff’s office can answer further questions on their investigation.”
Frank and his supporters want further action. “If Jason Thompson, who’s on administrative leave, and Lori Knudson acting deputy superintendent, Rod Merrell, and the consortium consultants do not resign, we are asking Vanessa Edwards, the school board president and the board of directors to use their authority to terminate their employment immediately. This leadership must end, and enough is enough.”
Because it is a holiday weekend, the Marysville School District, the Snohomish County Prosector’s Office, and a public information officer with the Snohomish County Sheriff were not available for comment.
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