Gunman shot by cops at RV park was recently evicted
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SILVERTON, Ore. — A 78-year-old gunman who wounded one person at a RV park before he was shot dead by officers had recently been evicted from the park after making threats.
More details have emerged on Tuesday about Jimmie E. Hickey, the man who randomly began firing shots Monday afternoon at Silver Spur RV Park in Silverton. Those who knew Hickey said he had been acting delusional, claiming a secret society wanted to kill him.
Meanwhile, the three officers who fired their guns have been identified. They are Marion County sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Postlewait and Oregon State Police troopers Nick Rhoades and James Andrews.
The officers were placed on administrative leave, as is standard for police-involved shootings.
The man wounded by Hickey’s gunfire has been identified as 32-year-old Nicholas Fisher, the park’s assistant manager. He was shot in the arm and is expected to recover.
The owners of the Silver Spur RV Park say Hickey had been acting delusional and was evicted last week after management learned he had a concealed weapons permit and threatened to kill people.
Still, others who knew Hickey said the delusional behavior only began recently. Larry Parent said he met Hickey at Pudge’s Pub in downtown Silverton, and the two would meet for karaoke every Friday night. Hickey liked cream soda.
Two weeks ago, however, Parent said Hickey began acting strange. He asked Parent if he could move in with him, though the two didn’t know each other well.
“Everything seemed normal until a few days later, he said, ‘I got to talk to you’ and seemed really anxious,” Parent said. “I said I’ll meet you at Pudge’s and he started talking about (how) he wasn’t getting any sleep at night because the Illuminati were after him and they were banging on his walls at night and he was looking for a room and a place to sleep.”
The park owner also said they had heard Hickey talk about his fear of the Illiminati, a secret society that became well known from the Tom Hanks movie, “Angels and Demons.”
Following Hickey’s threats to kill people, he was asked to move out.
After exchanging gunfire with multiple officers, Hickey was rushed to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. He died later in the evening of multiple gunshot wounds.
Hickey had a previous conviction of public indecency in 2003.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Another one bites the dust...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWsJcg-g1pg
@boned Your callous post is horrible. But I think that you know that...
Shouda just done the right thing and save us some tax money. Â Idiots like this needs to be put away, far from people.
@Benjamin Schniffle You have a cheaper alternative?
Obamacare is an abortion we will probably never be able to afford. But... the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that two initial steps we must try are mental health care, and medical coverage for children. Universal healtcare is unaffordable and ridiculous but if we're going to try, why not start with the people in America who are least capable of caring for themselves?
Alzheimer's, senile dementia combined with the general despair of decline health and employability cause things like this.
Parents of kids with mental issues so unique and complex that doctors can't even agree on what they are can't be expected to solve those immense riddles AND work AND parent. Throw in the horror and confusion of adolescent hormone changes and it's possible that it turns into psychotic rage before the kid even knows it's happening.
I dunno. It seems like we should focus on mental health care first. If we can't figure that out, universal health care is impossible.
@Playanekes While I deeply dislike your very first sentence, I agree with everything else you've said (that's my olive branch to you for today).  One of my closest friends lost her mother this Fall due to dementia/Alzheimer's and in my work I come in contact with those in the earlier stages.  And while it's a devastating disease for those who suffer it, it's equally if not more devastating for the loved ones.  I know that with my friend, her mother became extremely violent (you'd be amazed at what an enraged 5', 110lb woman can do when she refuses to take her meds), eventually being evicted from every 'home' she was placed in.  It's clear to me that some form of universal healthcare is mandatory for our country and our most frail to survive.  Scary times, for sure.
Somebody definitely dropped the ball on this incident......it's difficult not to look at law enforcement in this case.
Sundowner- I agree with both you and Playanekes, this is a SOB of a disease, but I don't understand your comments about LE dropping the ball. They responded to a call of a man with a gun, they had no choice to shoot him to protect the community. I just don't understand some peopleâs hatred for police
My apologies, I did not read that information.
@MadMax64Â The RV park manager contacted police several times beginning in January regarding the man's behavior. Â It appears nothing was done -- not too sure what could have been done, but it's pretty obvious *something* might have prevented this? Â And I don't have a hatred of police, but many times their action or lack of action needs to be examined, IMO.
This is the NEW & IMPROVED mental health system in the USA....YOUR FAMILY IS NEXT: Victim or Perp...
@August100Â Obama care will eliminate old age for most of us
Although identified as delusional and paranoid, NO ONE could help him get the mental health he needed? The bottom line is always police action, unfortunately! They are easy to blame because they take care of problems that others fear to act on!
@jpk Someone, somewhere should have acted . Based on the manager report. Armed and dangerous to the others is the reason for the evection. The police, no. They have to have the orders, to act.Â
@jpkNo help is available for Americans in need UNTIL MURDER & MAYHEM occurs...then the "HELP" is a jail/prison cell!
At least he likes cream soda.
Better than dying in a nursing home.
According to an updated story on another site, the RV park manager started contacting the Sheriff's Department in January about this man. Â It sounds like he slipped through the cracks or that someone dropped the ball -- that someone doesn't sound like the RV park manager at this point....he made many attempts to alert authorities, who actually came out on an occasion or two.
@Sundowner  If it is true that the authorities went to the RV Park on one or two occasions and talked with this man, then it sounds like the authorities dropped the ball in this matter. They should have determined whether he appeared to have mental problems, evidenced by his threats to kill people, and how many guns he owned. They should have thereupon sought to have his concealed gun permit revoked. They should have also placed a mental commitment hold on him as his threats to kill people indicate he was a danger to others. If this had been done, then the mental health professionals could have determined whether or not he was delusional, a danger to others, and whether he should be committed or receive outpatient mental health treatment. The Court could have also [possibly] ordered him to surrender his guns.
The authorities most likely didn't do any of this because it was too much trouble and extra work, and because they didn't really care. They are not very interested in preventing potential problems, as they are coming to the "rescue" after the fact. And now another man was wounded and this unfortunate man dead.
@Michael L. @SundownerUnfortunately, there is only so much law enforcement can do in situations like this.  They can offer help and resources, but it ultimately up to the individual and family members to ensure the assistance is taken.  Even if there was a peace officer hold, which the subject has to be an immediate threat to self and others (ie actively trying to hurt himself or others), it is only for 72 hours and hospital staff can release that person after even a few minutes.
This is a mental health and health care issue.  Why are people always blaming "authorities" and the "police" for not doing enough?  It is not the government's responsibility to care for you.  Law enforcement are not mental health or health care providers.  There is only so much law enforcement can do within the framework of the US and Oregon Constitutions.  You cannot violate someone's rights just because they are acting weird or even making weird statements.  And you certainly cannot force medical or mental health care on someone.  Family and friends are at fault for not intervening in this situation before it escalated.
@CDH  First, you state that the authorities cannot "violate someone's rights just because they are acting weird or even making weird statements." According to this article, this man was not just making weird statements - he was threatening to kill people [and he had a concealed weapons permit which strongly implies he had guns]. Threatening to kill people is far beyond making weird statements.
Secondly, you state "hospital staff can release that person after even a few minutes." i don't believe this is true. i believe that the man cannot be released until a mental commitment team member has interviewed a person upon which a hold has been placed and assessed the person's mental state, e.g. whether the person is commitable or not.
Thirdly, it is law enforcement's duty to "serve and protect." The protection prong is to protect the public from potential threats. Once this man came to the attention of law enforcement, it was the duty of the LEO's to do whatever they could to protect the public from a man who was threatening to kill people. If he had threatened to kill the President or some other public official, he would have been immediately arrested and prosecuted. In this case, he had a greater potential of carrying out his threat to kill people than someone 3000 miles away in Washington, D.C.
Lastly, perhaps we would have less violence if LEO's did more in situations like this, to get a man like this help. Yes, family and friends should get involve and try to help a person like this man get the mental health assistance he or she needs but sometimes such person has no family in the immediate area, and often friends don't want to get involved or don't know what they can do or where to turn. The LEO's do, including putting a mental commitment hold on such person. Â
The RV park manager felt that this man's threats were serious enough that the manager evicted him. i don't know whether this man was cogent and denied making threats to kill people when the LEO's contacted him, but they should have interviewed all the people who heard his threats. Perhaps they did and they determined he was just blowing off steam; the difference is that when sane, rational people blow off steam, they don't threaten to kill people.
latent schizophrenia?
Mental healthcare failure.
And yet only the rich deserve any kind of healthcare in this country...
By the way, check out this week's Time magazine for an eye-opening article on U.S. healthcare...Â
This about the age my dads dementia start appearing. Fortunately he was aways a gentleman throughout his life so we never had to deal with violence. Also Alzheimers often appears before this age. Too bad someone wasn't able to get this gentleman looked at by a health care professional. My stepmoms sister was removed from her Alzheimer facility because she turned violent and threw a chair through a bathroom window to escape because she thought someone was after her.
I have been known to make a snap judgement concerning stories by KATU, but this sounded a little too familiar. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured and Mr. Hickey to rest in peace.
@The Resistance Sorry, nobody should see their loved one go through dementia.  Alzheimers is particularly painful as they will forget who you are / get frustrated.  Snap judgements.....We all do, but then again, its a comment board.
It is sad, a person enters in to a state of dementia and no one got him help. It is clear that all this could have been stopped had MHPS got involved. It is clear that this man needed real help. And now he is dead because no one got him help...Says a lot about society today .."It is none of my business, why should I get involved?" He isn't my father or grandfather, So he isn't my responsibility.. It isn't fair he had to lose his life like he did..Shame on society, Shame on those that seen he needed real help and Never got him it, Shame on all those who seen this and did nothing..
@lee986321Â Â
Shame on society? No thanks. Shame on this particular violent THUG who CHOSE to do the wrong things in life, and fortunately was called to account for his crimes. Just because a man is 78 does not mean he's some kind of innocent angel. Some - like this criminal - are just plain thugs, and should be treated as such. End of story.
Anybody know how the family, who was going to fight eviction with hot water is doing?
Sounds weird.. What happened to this old guy to go off like this.. There must be more to this story... But of course we won't know
Not what I expected to see he looks like a nice man. Too bad he lost his marbles.
@old_dollor Too bbad he lost his marbles and could easily get a gun.
@trololol @old_dollor Aren't you funny?Â
@trololol @old_dollor Do you really think 78 years old will go to purchase gun? He has them around all his life. Just like most older men own multiple guns in this country. So, now what will be your freak strategie? You 've realized you've miss your point by a long shot, correct?
@trololol @old_dollor If he purchased a gun recently and there was no background check.....hard to tell if he'd have passed one or not.
It's unfortunate that a violent criminal carried out this attack. The only upside is that the violent, criminal-minded Mr. Hickey is no longer around to carry out further crimes. He got what he deserved for his criminal behavior, and he will be remembered (if he will be remembered at all) as yet another worthless thug that this nation seems to produce so many of. It's sad that his mother didn't get the abortion back in the day (which I guess would have been 1935) rather than bringing this violent criminal thug into the world.
Jim Hickey's family.. so sorry his life self-destructed. Elderly dementia is definitely a problem.
@Oh My I didn't see where dementia was a factor, although it could have been.  His mental state may have been impacted by prescription drugs, alcohol and even perhaps the current furor over gun rights.  Stranger things have happened.
like hello? couldnt they have just ping pong ball gunned him? or soap bubbled him?
Assumption here but...why did management not get the cops involved in the eviction and notify them then about the guy having a screw loose, a gun, and making threats with it...
This should have never got to the point where anyone died if our mental health system worked. This a great example of what the libs should be focused on not taking the guns from normal mentally healthy people...
@FreedomRocks I'm one of the "libs" who comments here, and I actually take offense to always being lumped in with some very radical far-left extremists who want all weapons banned....I'm sure you don't like being lumped in with the far-right extremists who want to shove a Bible down your throat either.  And since the RV park manager did nothing once he learned this guy was losing it, how would the mental health system be able to work in a case like this?  Maybe if he'd notified someone.......
@Sundowner @FreedomRocks Because you have no a clue , what an eviction process is about. Every judge is scarred to death to do anything outside the statue. The manager did all what he could do, and he did state the reason for the eviction .Armed and dangerous to others. All he can legally do. But, no one around to hear him. Correct?
@faith @FreedomRocks If you'll look at the time of my comment (posted 4 hours before yours), I posted it prior to when the press reported what all the RV park manager did in order to try to help this man.  I'm quite aware of the eviction process, at least as far as the business I manage....fortunately in my business it isn't necessary to go before a judge.  It sounds as though you knew this gentleman or are familiar with the RV park?  One thing for sure, someone didn't do the necessary follow-up with this man....very sad outcome.Â
Oh and sorry about the libs you are right that I am not a bible thumper even though consider myself a conservative it does bother me when I am lumped in with the far far right...
@oldcouvguy @FreedomRocks That's a nice term and in many ways I think I fit that.  But I'm not moderate when it comes to social issues, I'm probably half way between 'centrist' and flat-out-crazy leftie. Â
@Sundowner @FreedomRocksÂ
Hey guys or gals, whatever happened to the term "moderate"?
@FreedomRocks I didn't mean to single you out for using the term "libs", but it DOES get old.  I've always hoped that by hounding him about it, I played a part in getting kramr to change his moniker from "hatelibtards" or whatever he used to call himself.  Stereotyping of any kind does no good but definitely does some harm, IMO.  Oh, except if it's me and I'm ranting about toothless redneck hillbilly trash.  Then it's OK.  =)
@Sundowner @FreedomRocks If he was mentally unstable it is hard to believe it was not known way before this and by many others. They may have only recently learned he was armed but likely new he was not right for much much longer...
Also could be meds and alcohol I have seen family members mix the two and end up in la la land before why on only one or the other seem their normal annoying self.
@FreedomRocks In my line of work I deal with people every day who aren't quite right.  It's just such a fine line, one that requires some deep soul-searching about who I might think has crossed over that line.  If that's him in the picture, his appearance is one of being well-dressed, clean, looks like just another nice older gentleman.  Appears pretty harmless.  But once the RV park manager realized he'd become somewhat delusional and knew he'd threatened people....I'd cross that line and at least notify authorities.  This is a pretty sad story for everyone involved.
Here is our shooting for the day. It seems as though there is at least one a day somewhere. It is out of control.Â
@Chad Lisa No just with instant media world wide you now hear about them all.
They did not evict him because he had a concealed weapons permit, he was evicted for making threats.Â
The establishment media is working overtime to demonize guns at every turn they can even if logic fails them, but then again look at the brainwashed pansies that cower in fear at just hearing the word gun, hoping and praying the police will come save them all.