Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Homeless couple, Earnie Evans (58) and Connie Red Nest (54) froze to death

  1. #1
    Moderator puzzld's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    21,600
    Rep Power
    21474874

    Homeless couple, Earnie Evans (58) and Connie Red Nest (54) froze to death

    Two Rapid City residents were found dead Sunday morning. The man and woman are believed to have been homeless.

    Police found Ernie Evans, 58, around 10:15 a.m. near the I-190 bridge at Exit 1C. A passerby had reported a man lying on his back, and police arrived to find Evans dead.

    Connie Red Nest, 54, was found lying against a tree to the west of the bridge.

    Police do not suspect signs of trauma or foul play. Autopsies have been scheduled to more accurately determine the cause of their deaths.

    ?Every time we respond to an incident like this, it?s a tragedy for our community,? says Chief of Police Karl Jegeris. ?Our agency has now investigated the unattended deaths of four members of our homeless population amid this winter?s cold temperatures. All have been either near downtown or along the city?s greenway area.?

    Jegeris and Assistant Chief Don Hedrick have each released a letter regarding troubles with recent "disorganized efforts" to address homeless issues.

    The RCPD joins the Rapid City Mayor?s Office in its commitment to working toward long-term solutions that will have a direct impact on the safety of the city?s homeless population.

    ?These deaths are a tragic reminder of the impact of homelessness on our community,? says Mayor Steve Allender. ?It also underscores the importance of the work and commitment of Rapid City Collective Impact and the call-to-action by all of us to address this problem and develop workable solutions in a strategic and effective manner.?

    Jegeris also says that if the public sees someone in need of help, to contact law enforcement.

    "I would ask that the public - when they see somebody intoxicated, especially when it's cold out, and they appear that they might not have a place to go - that you contact law enforcement," Jegeris says. "We've got options available to us. We can place an individual - if they're intoxicated - to [the Detox Program]. The Cornerstone Rescue Mission has also been a very good partner, and they work with us to make sure that no one will be left out in the cold."

    This incident remains an open and active investigation.

    http://www.newscenter1.tv/story/3743...-in-rapid-city
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    lol at Nestle being some vicious smiter, she's the nicest person on this site besides probably puzzld. Or at least the last person to resort to smiting.
    Quote Originally Posted by nestlequikie View Post
    Why on earth would I smite you when I can ban you?

  2. #2
    Moderator puzzld's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    21,600
    Rep Power
    21474874
    http://www.newscenter1.tv/story/3743...harm-than-good
    Below is a letter from RCPD Chief Karl Jegeris to Mayor Steve Allender and the Rapid City Common Council:

    Mayor and Council,

    Last Monday I met with Cathie Harris of RV Ministry and 3 other volunteers that have been hosting the pop-up warming shelters that have been inconsistently operating over the past couple of months at various locations. I explained that although they were well intended, I felt they were creating more harm than good with their efforts due to enabling and indirectly encouraging our city?s at-risk inebriated homeless population by providing a false sense of security by offering to locate and provide warmth, which could encourage continued drinking. I asked them to redirect their volunteer energy to established service providers. It was clear they were determined to continue their efforts, even though they don?t have a consistent location, or even days of service.

    As you can see below, they provided an unsafe environment that allowed continued drinking throughout the night this past Friday. The clients didn?t receive proper rest, and were returned to the cold, probably many still being intoxicated. As you can see below, one of the clients sought rest under a bridge and died.

    I contacted the church involved this past weekend and will discouraged them from continuing to allow this group from operating in such a careless manner, or to ensure they have the capacity to operate in a consistent and safe manner. I was assured they would comply. I also contacted the group leader, Cathie Harris, and asked her again to consider re-directing her groups resources to established service providers that have a safe and consistent location to provide sheltering services. Although she was respectful, I?m again left uncertain regarding her future efforts. Without a consistent location and volunteer resources, this effort will potentially pose risk to public safety. Established resources of detox and the Cornerstone Rescue Mission, although at capacity, are able to find creative ways to ensure everyone has a safe place.

    I will also be sharing my concerns with local media. I anticipate this will be controversial, and I appreciate your support as I seek to discourage well intended, but unsafe efforts regarding public safety.

    Karl Jegeris

    Below is a letter from RCPD Assistant Chief Don Hedrick to Chief Karl Jegeris:

    Chief Jegeris,

    In early January I met with Cathie Harris of RV Ministry and discussed safety concerns related to the ?warming shelter? concept that was starting to occur in Rapid City. Some of the main concerns from my perspective involved RV Ministry creating another rescue mission without mandating that attendees were sober, failing to remove alcohol bottles from the shelter attendees, ensuring weapons or drugs weren?t brought into the facility, etc. I relayed that the alcohol issue would create an unsafe environment for all attending the shelter.

    This Sunday morning, we learned two individuals had passed away under the I-190 bridge and as temperatures were extremely cold Saturday night, it appears exposure was likely the main contributing cause of death. I contacted Cathie [Monday] to follow up on the warming shelters concept, to ask if a shelter was provided Saturday night, and to ask about future plans for the shelters moving forward.

    Cathie sounded upset on the phone at times, as she had recently learned an individual that passed away Saturday night had attended the warming shelters in the past. Through our conversation, I discovered one of the deceased had attended the warming shelter they hosted at a downtown church basement on Friday night. She explained she has been working with the Downtown Church to utilize this location as a long term solution for ongoing warming shelters moving forward.

    Cathie went on to say that Saturday night was a very bad night as ?28 out of the 29 people there were drunk.? She advised nearly everyone at the shelter was instigating problems and this led her to contact the RCPD and she had to shut the shelter down early. Throughout the evening it appeared to the warming shelter volunteers that the attendees were becoming more intoxicated as the night continued. She explained how they allow people to leave the shelter to smoke and the staff discovered later that a large bottle of vodka was stationed outside. The attendees were dumping the water out of the bottles provided by the shelter and filling the bottles with vodka and then bringing the alcohol into the [facility]. As a result, those there to rest were unable to, as disturbances and threatening behavior occurred to the point where it appeared someone was going to ?pick up a chair? to insight a ?brawl.? Cathie did eventually call the police although some of the other volunteers criticized her for failing to call earlier. Once the police were contacted, some of the attendees became upset at Cathie personally as they believed she should not have called law enforcement. It got to the point where Cathie told the group she was going to cook breakfast and then everyone had to leave early. She made the decision to cancel plans on hosting a warming shelter Saturday night as she was not happy with the way things went Friday night.

    After getting off the phone with Cathie, I checked our records and discovered the police were actually called to the downtown church three times late Friday night:

    CFS 18-031769 22:16 2/2/2018 : Reporting Party called in to report Intoxicated subjects causing issues/?picking fights? in church warming shelter. Male subject transported to detox.

    CFS 18-031769 03:43 2/3/2018 : Reporting Party called in to report Male and Female intoxicated subjects arguing/?causing problems? in church warming shelter. Male and Female were removed and transported to subject?s fathers residence.

    CFS 18-032580 17:43 2/3/2018 : Reporting Party called in to report homeless person was outside with wheelchair issues. Subject was transported to detox.

    During our discussion I reiterated the safety concerns presented by allowing an overnight place for people to consume alcohol or to remain while intoxicated. Further, I discussed a scenario where a homeless person might feel encouraged to continue consuming alcohol, expecting the warming shelter to be open when in reality the shelter might not be available. We had a discussion on current options that exist and how the Cornerstone Rescue Mission will not turn people away when the temperatures are bitter cold or they will contact the RCPD if the individual is intoxicated and we will locate a safe solution.

    Cathie advised RV Ministries is planning on continuing with the warming shelters this week; she was leaving town but other members of the One Rapid City/Community Conversations group were going to explore locations and dates for the shelters.

    Don Hedrick
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    lol at Nestle being some vicious smiter, she's the nicest person on this site besides probably puzzld. Or at least the last person to resort to smiting.
    Quote Originally Posted by nestlequikie View Post
    Why on earth would I smite you when I can ban you?

  3. #3
    Senior Member animosity's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Posts
    17,287
    Rep Power
    21474865
    Quote Originally Posted by songbirdsong View Post
    "Say, you know who could handle this penis? MY MOTHER."

  4. #4
    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Never have I been a blue, calm sea...I have always been a storm.
    Posts
    11,720
    Rep Power
    21474856
    How horrible. Here is a picture of them. RIP.

    27540362_1769699216375523_5415879254107832884_n.jpg

  5. #5
    What do you care? Boston Babe 73's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Under your bed
    Posts
    23,483
    Rep Power
    21474870
    This pisses me off to no end

    So, the solution to helping people is to shut down temporary shelters? Fuck that fucker!
    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    That is too pretty to be shoved up an ass.
    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    You can take those Fleets and shove them up your ass



  6. #6
    Certified Grumple Bottoms Ron_NYC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Queens!
    Posts
    102,846
    Rep Power
    21474956
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    This pisses me off to no end

    So, the solution to helping people is to shut down temporary shelters? Fuck that fucker!
    What the what?

    This makes a much sense as fucking for virginity, or adding guns to reduce shootings.
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Ron was the best part, hands down.

  7. #7
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    11,768
    Rep Power
    21474859
    Quote Originally Posted by Ron_NYC View Post
    What the what?

    This makes a much sense as fucking for virginity, or adding guns to reduce shootings.
    If we gave every teacher and student a gun, then we wouldn't have any more school shootings.

  8. #8
    Moderator puzzld's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    21,600
    Rep Power
    21474874
    LOL.

    To be fair, you only have part of the picture. This is my hometown so I've followed this.

    We have a homeless shelter. It has a zero tolerance policy for substances. Drunk or otherwise impaired? You're out. Be violent? You're out. When the temps drop to a dangerous level people who aren't welcome at the shelter are offered several options (depending on space available) detox, some temporary shelters manned by l/o, the city jail...

    A group of people in town decided these options were inadequate (and they were right, no question) but they did the right things, badly. They set up shelters in church basements or other such spaces and didn't have sufficient staff to supervise things going on in the shelter. Drinking and drug issues cropped up, residents fought, intoxicated people in the shelters were attacked by others in the shelter... one of the shelters ended up calling the cops to keep the peace several times in one night and then closed and put everyone out at like 3AM...

    The shelter moved around so the people who needed shelter couldn't always find it. It was at the boys club one night but the next it might be 10 miles across town...

    Their hearts are in the right place, but they don't have a good solution to the problem.
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    lol at Nestle being some vicious smiter, she's the nicest person on this site besides probably puzzld. Or at least the last person to resort to smiting.
    Quote Originally Posted by nestlequikie View Post
    Why on earth would I smite you when I can ban you?

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •