Update 12/30/2020 at 11:16am: Radicals with Tacoma Housing Now say police have arrived and are “breaking doors open” to remove the occupiers from the motel.
Police were seen, via a livestream, in “full protective gear” ahead of their action.
Update 12/30/2020 at 11:24am:
One homeless man, talking to Behind Enemy Lines live streamer, says he came to the motel for a few nights but wasn’t part of the original action by Tacoma Housing Now.
Not everyone occupying the motel have agreed to leave. One woman refuses to leave the parking lot, though it’s unclear if she’s homeless or an activist.
This is a developing story and will be updated in real time. Check back frequently for updates.
Update 12/30/2020 at 11:32am:
Activists are asking for reinforcements to come by and help them document police action. Right now, the “army” of protesters showing their support disappeared.
Update 12/30/2020 at 11:58am:
One man, who appears to be homeless, starts berating officers for their work clearing out the motel. Other than that, it’s been mostly peaceful as officers clear out the occupied motel.
Update 12/30/2020 at 12:03pm:
A Fife Corrections van is on site to help homeless people load their belongings and transport them to an undetermined location.
There also seems to be more resistance from some activists and at least one person who appears homeless. Others are packing up a lot of garbage bags filled with personal belongings.
Update 12/30/2020 at 12:14pm
Activists claim they brought people to help the homeless, though they’ve clearly abandoned them. Now, activists claim “Nazis” are on site posing some kind of unknown danger. No Nazis are on sight as far as this Jew can tell.
Update 12/30/2020 at 12:24pm: Police Chief speaks
Police Chief Pete Fisher is speaking now to explain why they’re acting today to remove the radicals. He confirms he was working with the radicals but implies the business owner (who he does call a victim) might have made matters worse when he complained about the situation to the press. But Fisher also says he had an agreement with the business owner that wasn’t kept.
The chief also says they didn’t act because of a lack of staffing and if they made arrests, it’s not like the jails would take the suspects anyway. He noted that there’s concern that this becomes a super spreader event since two people on site are reportedly COVID-positive.
Fisher says no arrests today (none planned) but is investigating the people who initiated the occupation and may face charges. He says this is felony-level theft “at minimum” possibly.
Fisher promises a “zero tolerance” policy moving forward on this kind of illegal action.