Local News | Man considered dangerous escapes from Western State Hospital | Seattle Times Newspaper
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014412011_escapee06m.html
And see Local News | Convicted arsonist walks from WA mental hospital | Seattle Times Newspaper
Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 1:42 PM
By Rob Carson
A mentally ill man who refers to himself as "the son of Satan" and is considered dangerous by law enforcement officials is still at large today after escaping from Western State Hospital Friday morning.
According to the Washington State Department of Corrections, Jonathan D. Wilson, 26, of the Everett area, was civilly committed to Western State following a conviction for second degree robbery.
Chad Lewis, a DOC spokesman, says authorities in Everett have been alerted because of fears that Wilson may make good on threats he made to his parole officer there.
"When DSHS notified us Friday that Wilson had walked away from the hospital, we immediately notified the staff at the Everett field office because while he was being supervised there he made multiple threats against his community corrections officer," Lewis said.
According to Department of Corrections communication obtained by The News Tribune, Wilson is delusional, paranoid and dangerous. Wilson has indicated he has been sanctioned to kill people at random.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which runs Western State, downplayed the potential danger to the public.
Thomas Shapely, communications director at DSHS, said he does not believe the public is in danger.
"We had someone walk away from the premises," Shapely said. "Other than that, we're really limited in what we can disclose."
"We know that the guy doesn't present any great threat, regardless of what is being reported," Shapely said.
"There are situations at Western State where someone is locked up and busts out," Shapely said. "This wasn't a case like that."
Kris Flowers, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said that she was unable to talk specifically about Wilson, because of privacy restrictions in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Without identifying Wilson, Flowers acknowledged that a patient walked away from a group of other patients who had been given recreational access to the hospital grounds at about 11:30 a.m. Friday.
The group of patients was being supervised by one hospital staff member, Flowers said.
Flowers said the hospital did not classify what happened as an "escape," because the patient, although in a locked ward, had not been criminally committed.
Flowers said that a hospital staff member alerted law enforcement when the man did not return at 11:30 a.m., Friday, which is standard protocol.
Flowers said the man has "a history of dangerousness," but a clinical determination that he is not "imminently dangerous."
And see Local News | Convicted arsonist walks from WA mental hospital | Seattle Times Newspaper
Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 1:42 PM
By Rob Carson
A mentally ill man who refers to himself as "the son of Satan" and is considered dangerous by law enforcement officials is still at large today after escaping from Western State Hospital Friday morning.
According to the Washington State Department of Corrections, Jonathan D. Wilson, 26, of the Everett area, was civilly committed to Western State following a conviction for second degree robbery.
Chad Lewis, a DOC spokesman, says authorities in Everett have been alerted because of fears that Wilson may make good on threats he made to his parole officer there.
"When DSHS notified us Friday that Wilson had walked away from the hospital, we immediately notified the staff at the Everett field office because while he was being supervised there he made multiple threats against his community corrections officer," Lewis said.
According to Department of Corrections communication obtained by The News Tribune, Wilson is delusional, paranoid and dangerous. Wilson has indicated he has been sanctioned to kill people at random.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which runs Western State, downplayed the potential danger to the public.
Thomas Shapely, communications director at DSHS, said he does not believe the public is in danger.
"We had someone walk away from the premises," Shapely said. "Other than that, we're really limited in what we can disclose."
"We know that the guy doesn't present any great threat, regardless of what is being reported," Shapely said.
"There are situations at Western State where someone is locked up and busts out," Shapely said. "This wasn't a case like that."
Kris Flowers, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said that she was unable to talk specifically about Wilson, because of privacy restrictions in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Without identifying Wilson, Flowers acknowledged that a patient walked away from a group of other patients who had been given recreational access to the hospital grounds at about 11:30 a.m. Friday.
The group of patients was being supervised by one hospital staff member, Flowers said.
Flowers said the hospital did not classify what happened as an "escape," because the patient, although in a locked ward, had not been criminally committed.
Flowers said that a hospital staff member alerted law enforcement when the man did not return at 11:30 a.m., Friday, which is standard protocol.
Flowers said the man has "a history of dangerousness," but a clinical determination that he is not "imminently dangerous."