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By Jack Harvel

Hundreds of people attended vigils to honor Barry Washington, Jr. Sept. 22 and 23 in Bend, just days after police say he was shot and killed by Ian Cranston outside of The Capitol, a Bend nightclub, on Sept. 19. Washington’s family and friends also organized a vigil at Benicia Park in Benicia, California, close to where Washington grew up. The shooting ignited a conversation about enduring racism in Central Oregon and the chasm of experience between white residents and people of color. Cops arrested Cranston on second-degree manslaughter charges. He posted bail and was released shortly after the shooting. in school. When he asked his school for help, he received none. When he asked his councilors for help, he received none. This is the life for Black people in Bend, Oregon,” Riccardo Waites, founder and CEO of Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly, told Wednesday’s vigil attendees.

Initial reporting suggested that Cranston shot Washington after Washington approached his fiancé, Allie Butler, first at the bar and later outside. Deschutes District Attorney John Hummel said Washington didn’t act inappropriately while interacting with Butler, but Cranston reacted aggressively, and a fight broke out.

Hummel said Cranston shot Washington as he was arguing with one of Cranston’s friends.

Washington’s family, however, claims that the same men harassed Washington shortly after he moved to Bend. They say the shooting could

Jack Harvel

Signs and artwork memorialize Barry Washington at a vigil on Thursday.

Wednesday’s vigil invited people to share their experiences in Central Oregon, with speakers recounting racism they’ve encountered in the community. A Black woman shared that she was recently run off the road in Bend. A teenage girl said she

was called the ‘N-word’ at the age of five. And a local activist remembered Deshaun Adderley, who committed suicide in 2015 after being bullied at Summit High School. The Source Weekly, along with KPOV, was among the only local media outlets to cover Adderley’s death.

“Deshaun Adderley committed suicide over the bullying he was receiving be premeditated—which could raise charges from manslaughter to murder—and that Cranston used slurs that could turn the shooting into a hate crime.

“Basically, he told him that they can do to him whatever they wanted to do and kept calling him the ‘N’ word,” Valencia Roberson, Washington’s aunt, told NBC Bay Area.

Jack Harvel

A crowd assembles on the corner of Oregon and Wall Streets in downtown Bend on Thursday, where days earlier 22-year-old Barry Washington was shot and killed.

Hummel previously said that he’s not ruled out the possibility that this is a hate crime.

Thursday’s vigil focused on Washington’s life, with friends and roommates sharing what he was like. Friends said he was a “nerd” who loved Pokémon, videogames and chess. He idolized Malcolm X. He wasn’t confrontational but also wasn’t docile when confronted, they said.

“He’s a loving person, he only cares about having fun when he steps out; that’s his only goal when he steps out of the house,” said Max Petersen, Washington’s friend and roommate, during Thursday’s vigil. “I told him it would be a safe environment up here. But that was obviously a lie that I told him. I had been given a different impression from the community up here. I had better faith up here.”

Petersen had known Washington since he was 11 years old and invited him to come live with him in Bend. Petersen said he was shocked after Washington was first harassed shortly after moving to Bend.

“I told him for a week, ‘I’m sorry, I told you it’d be good up here and I’m sorry I can’t believe this shit happened to you; I’ve been up here for four and a half years, and nobody popped off like that,” Petersen told the Source.

Petersen said he doesn’t know if the people who harassed Washington were there the night he was killed, but like the family, he believes the killing was racially motivated and hopes the charges can be raised to murder.

“We absolutely expect a murder charge,” Petersen said. “I think he was targeted. I think what 99% of the people walking downtown Bend look like... if they would have got into a fight, trying to push up on some dude’s female because they thought she was cute or whatever, and they tried to compliment her, I promise you they wouldn’t have died that night.”

Washington’s family set up a GoFundMe campaign to pay for legal fees in the case. As of Monday it had raised $33,376 of a $40,000 goal.

Jack Harvel

Cientos de personas asistieron a las vigilias en honor a Barry Washington, Jr., el 22 y 23 de septiembre en Bend, a solo unos días después que la policía dijera que Ian Castron le disparó y lo mató el 19 de septiembre afuera de The Capitol, un club nocturno. La familia y amigos de Washington también organizaron una vigilia en Benicia Park, en Benicia California, cerca de donde Washington creció. Este evento desató una conversación sobre el racismo persistente en la zona Centro de Oregon y las diferencias sobre las experiencias entre los habitantes blancos y personas de color. La policía arrestó a Cranston por cargos de homicidio en segundo grado. Pagó una fianza y fue puesto en libertad poco después de haberle disparado a la persona.

La vigilia del miércoles invitó a las personas a compartir sus experiencias en la zona Centro de Oregon, con personas narrando el racismo que han enfrentado en la comunidad. Una mujer negra compartió que recientemente fue abordada en la calle en Bend. Una jovencita dijo que a los cinco años de edad se dirigieron a ella con la palabra que comienza en “N”. Y un activista local recordó a Deshaun Adderley, quien se suicidó en 2015 después de haber sido acosado en la preparatoria Summit. The Source Weekly, junto con KPOV, fueron de los únicos medios de comunicación locales que cubrieron la nota de la muerte de Adderley.

Los reportes iniciales sugirieron que Cranston le disparó a Washington después de que Washignton se acercó hacia su prometida, Allie Butler, primero en el bar y luego afuera del bar. El fiscal de distrito John Hummel, dijo que Washington no actuó inapropiadamente mientras interactuaba con Butler, pero Cranston reacciono agresivamente y se desató una pelea. Hummel dijo que Cranston le disparo a Washington al momento que discutía con uno de los amigos de Cranston.

Sin embargo, la familia de Washington afirma que los mismos hombres acosaron a Washington poco tiempo después que se mudara a Bend. Dijeron que el disparo podría ser premeditado, lo cual podría plantear cargos de homicidio hasta asesinato y que Cransto uso palabras ofensivas que podrían tornar el caso en un crimen por odio.

La vigilia del jueves se enfocó en la vida de Washington, teniendo amigos y compañeros de casa compartiendo como era él. Sus amigos dijeron que era un “nerd” que le encantaba Pokémon, los videojuegos y el ajedrez.

Idolatraba a Malcom X. Comentaron que no era conflictivo pero tampoco dócil al ser provocado. “Es una persona amorosa, cuando sale solo le importa divertirse; ese es su único objetivo al salir de casa,” dijo Max Petersen, amigo y compañero de casa de Washington, lo dijo durante la vigilia del jueves. “Le dije que aquí habría un ambiente seguro. Pero obviamente fue una mentira lo que le dije. Esta comunidad me ha dado una impresión diferente. Tenia más fe aquí.

La familia de Washington estableció una campaña por GoFundMe para pagar por los gastos judiciales del caso. Para el lunes, había recaudado $33,376 de una meta de $40,000.

“Me pongo a pensar cómo se vería el 99% de las personas que caminan por la calle en el centro de Bend si se habían pelado, tratando de acercarse a una nueva mujer porque pensaron que estaba bonita o lo que sea y trataron de elogiarla, te aseguro que no hubieran muero esa noche.” —Max Petersen

By Jack Harvel

On June 1, Oregon’s eviction moratorium expired, ending a 14-month-long period during which Oregonians couldn’t be evicted for failing to pay rent. Fearing a surge of evictions, the Oregon legislature passed safeguards to keep tenants in their home. So far, it appears to have worked and a surge hasn’t happened.

“It has not materialized; it’s just starting to. And part of that is, we’re suspecting, related to the fact that Senate Bill 278 offered some protections for people if they had applied for rental assistance,” said Molly Heiss, director

of housing stabilization at NeighborImpact. “Senate Bill 278, obviously allowed for evictions to start to take place. It did not do anything to extend the moratorium, but what it did do is put in the 60-day protection for folks that applied for rental assistance.”

The Oregon legislature enacted the protection period after the Oregon Housing and Community Services department had more trouble than expected due to the sheer volume of aid being doled out. Oregon HCS Executive Director Margaret Salazar said the department, along with local program administrators, have approved over $220 million in state and federal rental assistance in 2021, which Salazar said is more than they typically spend in a decade.

“We know that many people who have applied for the Oregon emer-

gency rental assistance program have been waiting to receive rental assistance, and we know that many of them are starting to get worried, especially with rent due at the beginning of the month,” Salazar said during a media briefing on Friday. “This is weighing heavily on us. We want to reassure anyone who has applied that OHCS and our local program administrators are doing everything we possibly can to process those applications as quickly as possible.”

Salazar said some people who haven’t received benefits are now outside of the 60-day safe harbor period. To minimize this issue the oldest applications are being processed first and documentation requirements were made more flexible.

Though evictions haven’t been coming back en masse, there are indications they are coming back. Heiss, of Neighbor Impact said they’ve been receiving more applications since June, though it’s not certain how many of those were specifically concerned about the eviction moratorium. The number of applications fluctuated throughout the pandemic, with a lot of applicants after the initial wave of COVID, fewer during the winter and a rise since the moratorium expired.

“I definitely have seen an uptick since June 30,” Heiss said. “People, I think, were leaning on the moratorium. And with so many different things going on across all facets of their lives, I can certainly understand how not having to worry about the stress of figuring out how to pay for rent would have maybe fallen by the wayside because you had so many other stressful events right in front of you.”

At the Deschutes County Court, Heiss says an increasing number of eviction cases are being filed. The court calendar shows 16 initial hearings over the next month for eviction cases.

“We spoke with the court mediator at Deschutes County last week, and she said they are seeing an increase in filings. Obviously, with the moratorium for cause filings were always allowable. But they’re seeing some more filings for nonpayment of rent,” Heiss said.

As the Source reported in 2018, eviction cases often don’t have favorable outcomes for tenants, for among other things, failure to attend court.

“It’s sad to see people be fearful and hide from that when the reality is they may be directed to apply for assistance,” Heiss said.

Analysis from Quote Wizard this week found that 18% of Oregonians say they are at threat of eviction, 11% are behind on rent and that Black and Hispanic people were more likely to be at risk of eviction.

“People, I think were leaning on the moratorium. And with so many different things going on across all facets of their lives, I can certainly understand how not having to worry about the stress of fi guring out how to pay for rent would have maybe fallen by the wayside because you had so many other stressful events right in front of you.” —Molly Heiss

Courtesy KEZI

The eviction moratorium expired in June, padded by grace periods for people who requested aid. Now as those grace periods come to an end, more people are likely to be receiving letters like this.

that applied for rental assistance.” briefing on Friday. “This is weighing heavily on us. We want to reassure anyone who has applied that OHCS and our local program administrators are doing everything we possibly can to umentation requirements were made more flexible.

Though evictions haven’t been coming back en masse, there are indications they are coming back. Heiss, of Neighbor Impact said they’ve been receiving more applications since June, though it’s not certain how many of those were specifically concerned about the eviction moratorium. The number of applications fluctuated throughout the pandemic, with a lot of applicants after the initial wave of COVID,

Courtesy Tumisu/Pixabay