Posted on 07/29/2021 8:43:01 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie
A man was in custody after he allegedly attacked a woman inside the King County courthouse Thursday morning, another incident expected to raise more questions about security around the building and a homeless encampment that has taken root next door.
Seattle Police Department Sgt. Randy Huserik said Clint James Jory, 35, was being questioned and expected to be booked into the King County Jail after that. He is under investigation for attempted rape. The woman, who worked in the Department of Public Defense, was taken home by a relative after the attack.
He said the call was initially referred to police as "some type of sexual assault," but police said the exact details of what happened are still under investigation.
A source told KOMO News that the man was nude when he was found inside the bathroom. KOMO News cameras captured police escorting the shirtless suspect from the building.
Police said the man entered the courthouse before the attack without issue.
The woman was able to scream during the incident, and someone inside the building was able to provide help to the victim and help apprehend the suspect, police said.
The brazen and horrifying attack left courthouse workers stunned but not surprised.
“It’s like wow, you know, wow,” said one woman who did not feel comfortable being identified. “We talk about it a lot, people are very uncomfortable.”
“It’s not just getting here with the outside streets, it’s also the safety of being inside the courthouse,” she added.
"That's quite a bold act," Huserik said. "I'm sure it was probably frightening for the victim."
The entrance to the ladies bathroom was cordoned off by yellow crime scene tape.
Man held in sexual assault of King County courthouse worker (Image: Eric Jensen / KOMO News)
The King County Prosecutor’s Office said Jory was convicted of indecent liberties two years ago.
He was released from jail last week after time served and a week later, he’s back in handcuffs.
Police aren’t sure if Jory is connected to the notorious homeless camp next to the courthouse where a man was stabbed to death in June.
“This is exactly what we are talking about, this is why we go to court and this is why we have for City Hall Park and we’re going to keep doing that,” said Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
City and county officials have been pressed to take action about an encampment that has grown next door to the courthouse and the persistent criminal activity that has been reported there.
On June 17, a man from Lake Charles, Louisiana who had recently moved to Seattle was fatally stabbed at the encampment during a fight with a man who was staying at the camp.
The mother of the victim has blamed Seattle and King County for not doing more to tamp down on violence at the park and has called for the agencies to reimburse her for her son's funeral costs.
In December 2019, three courthouse workers told the King County Council about the violence and attacks they have been victims of while working inside the building.
The attack prompted King County Councilman Reagan Dunn to write a letter to Mayor Jenny Durkan and County Executive Dow Constantine, asking that they take action now.
Dunn wants the building closed to anyone except for workers or those who have legitimate business needs for going inside.
"Today’s sexual assault of an employee inside the King County Courthouse in Seattle is a testament to how unsafe not only City Hall Park has become, but the courthouse itself," Dunn wrote in his letter. "We can no longer ignore or defer the dangerous environment that has surrounded our seat of government, and those who attempt to access our services."
A spokesman for the mayor referenced a letter she wrote to judges, citing her efforts to enhance safety in the area.
"The City of Seattle agrees that there are significant public safety challenges at the park by the courthouse, which is why Seattle has committed a record level of resources to improve safety in and around this park," the spokesman said in a written statement.
Dirtbag, “homeless” white guy.
Surprised they didn’t detain her for harming his self esteem and not letting him finish.
It is wokeunism out there, and the left loves victim blaming.
Non-binary, identified as a woman until the little head thought otherwise.
Now we know their red line. Crimes against them inside one of their legal temples. They sure didn’t care about the rest of the city.
In Seattle? Come on man, it was just a mostly peaceful rape.
Yeah. Defunding the Seattle PD is a great idea...
WA has a new law that police can not physically detain someone with out “probable cause”. In other words, they have to see a person do the crime. Witnesses at the scene of the crime is not good enough to make an arrest. A case must be built other wise in order to make an arrest.
I wonder how this citizen involvement before the cops arrived will play out in court.
And they want to cut back on police representation and fill the slots with unarmed psychologists feeding them to hardened criminals. You can imagine that filling the slots will be hard if these people don’t have better protection when they are contracted to face up with these animals. And peta raised hell when they put explosives detecting devices on dolphins.
wy69
Probable cause is built many ways.
One of them is having witnesses.
Ah, another Summer of Love!
Isn't that great?
Pierce Co. sheriff deputies had to watch a murderer run away in Seatac.
Yup. When a local radio host (Dori Monson) asked one of the law's key legislative supporters about this, he went on about how important it was to protect innocent people from abusive police tactics. No mention of those of us on whom violence is being perpatrated in highly increasing rates.
I also saw this morning there was a head on collision on an on ramp when somebody ran from WaSP an did a U turn. The guy kept going and they couldn’t chase him.
It looks like a concealed pistol is going to be more necessary now.
I heard a WA state trooper on radio today say that making even a routine traffic stop finds people not stopping and driving on
Yep. Why bother stopping to get a ticket?
Obeying the law is for suckers.
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