Videos from KOMO News reporter Jonathan Choe reveal the squalid conditions parts of downtown Seattle have turned into as homeless people openly use drugs and trash covers the street.
HAPPENING NOW: Just hours after a shooting on 3rd Ave in Downtown Seattle, the insanity has returned. This is the stretch between Pike/Pine St. Open air drug use, sales of all kinds of merch, trash everywhere. How is this allowed?@MayorofSeattle @downtownseattle @SeattlePD pic.twitter.com/UQPmg9krhU
— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) February 28, 2022
REMIND YOU OF ANOTHER CRIME HOT SPOT IN SEATTLE? Slabs of meat right out in the open? Need another hint? Seattle just cleared this corner almost a couple weeks ago. I’ll let ya’ll figure it out. ?? But there is no doubt some of those elements have move to 3rd Ave. #SoSeattle pic.twitter.com/NJhlfPywuA
— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) February 28, 2022
Where people gather on a daily basis are often in front of stores and business owners say they've been negatively impacted by the constant activity.
"Hundreds of people just taking over store fronts. No wonder businesses are leaving," Choe tweeted.
ACROSS THE STREET: For those who do not believe the madness of what’s being allowed on 3rd Ave in Downtown Seattle, this is another vantage point. Hundreds of people just taking over store fronts. No wonder businesses are leaving. Cray cray. #ForReal #Woke #TooWoke pic.twitter.com/jSnoFOw9Vk
— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) February 28, 2022
"You see what they're doing out here. I don't need to say what they're doing out here," a security guard for a store told Choe, referring to the open drug usage.
STREET INSIGHT: So a lot of this activity on 3rd Ave is happening outside the Century Square office tower, home to corporate biz and storefront shops like Piroshky Piroshky and Chipotle. Listen to what private security guard says about what he sees on the regular. #Seattle pic.twitter.com/7x865oQiFV
— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) February 28, 2022