Richard Brown: Protecting Northwest Academy

On September 30th, Northwest Academy security guard, Richard Brown, was attacked. He is a Pacific Patrol Service guard who is currently assigned on an unarmed daily basis to the “Academy shift,” as he calls it.

“I saw someone on the sidewalk laying against the [Main St.] Academy building,” Brown said. “[His] back and head were up against the building, but his legs were in the sidewalk. He was by the tree, so there was very little pathway for students to walk around him.”

Seeing that this was affecting the students’ ability to get to class safely, Brown decided to politely confront the man causing the hindrance.

“I went and asked him to please move aside for the students, faculty and people to get by,” Brown said. “He didn’t respond at first, and then just started yelling at me, asking if I had been in combat before. I explained to him I haven’t. But, if he would just please move, that I would appreciate that.”

However, the man did not move. After standing up, the man turned his back to Brown and told the guard that he should leave.

“I replied, ‘Okay, thank you.’ End of conversation,” Brown said. “After I started walking back to the office to call the non-emergency number, he chased after me. He then pulled a radio out of his pocket and put it in my face saying he took a picture of me with it. I said, ‘Okay, fine.’”

Not perturbed by the man’s odd actions, Brown turned around again and began to proceed back towards the office as the man went back to the stretch of sidewalk where the initial confrontation took place.

“I went to the office door, but the secretary didn’t see me at that point so I couldn’t get buzzed in,” Brown said. “I didn’t know he was headed my way.”

Then the situation turned violent.

“He punched me in the face with a bottle of beer that was in his hand,” Brown said. “I dropped my phone and cleared my face to make sure I wasn’t bleeding. I was covered in beer at that point.”

The attacker then took off down 12th St.

“I found my phone and dialed 911,” Brown said. “I then followed him, from a block away, until I met with the police at the corner of Yamhill and10th.”

The suspect was then apprehended aboard a MAX train. However, according to Brown, it was not clear to authorities of what charges were to be filed as police thought that TriMet, operator of MAX, was the prosecuting party.

“There was apparently some confusion with the police about who was pressing charges since he was on the train without paying a fare,” Brown said. “Because of this confusion, he was released, but the next day the district attorney reviewed the case and said he shouldn’t have been let go.”

Because of this mix-up on the part of the law enforcement, the suspect remains at large. However, the police do have the name of the attacker, but cannot release it at this time.

“There is currently a warrant for his arrest,” Brown said. “He is wanted on harassment charges, and has an exclusion from the Northwest Academy. So, if he returns, he’ll be faced with trespassing charges on top of the harassment charges.”

Brown does not believe the man was a veteran.

“I don’t think it was PTSD or anything like that,” Brown said. “I believe he was just intoxicated. We have his information. The police know his name and address.”

Despite the seemingly questionable activities that take place in urban areas, including Northwest Academy’s, this is the first incident like this at the school.

“I see this as an isolated incident,” Mary Folberg, Head of School, said. “This is the first time in over 19 years anything like this has ever happened. And, I don’t really see it happening again.”

This recent event has prompted the question: is Northwest Academy safe?

“We wouldn’t be operating at all if we had any concern at all that our students weren’t completely safe,” Folberg said.

Since his first day in early September, Brown’s job has been to make sure students, faculty and pedestrians move through the area and commute in between buildings safely and without incident.

“We are in a very interesting area,” Folberg, said. “I think it overall benefits the school. Look at the things we have within walking distance that students get to experience, the park, the art museum. That also means, as with any environment, we take the good with the bad.”

All students interviewed said that they feel safe when walking around campus.

“I am often grossed out, but I generally feel very safe,” Kele Storhm, a freshman, said. “The security guard does make me feel safer.”

As for Mr. Brown, he returned to work the next day. Despite being attacked, Brown still loves that he gets to guard the school.

“I love the Academy shift,” Brown said. “Everyone is great to me. Even some residents in the surrounding apartment complexs are really friendly and told me they appreciate what I do, keeping the problems away from the area.”