PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Mike Wadlow fell asleep at City Pier in Port Angeles while he was squid fishing last week. He awoke to two teens brutally attacking him, kicking him in the face and destroying his belongings.
Now, the two teens are in jail after attacking the homeless man. The incident has received a lot of attention, after one of the suspects posted a video of it to social media.
In the wake of the attack, the community is coming together to support the man — turning an instance of hate into an outpouring of love.
“I've been here for about two and a half years, and I want to live here,” said 61-year-old Wadlow. “You know, I love the ocean and I love the people.”
Although he is homeless, Wadlow said he has always felt safe in Port Angeles. But last week in the early morning hours, he experienced an unprovoked act of violence.
“I fell asleep and woke up to somebody kicking me in the face,” said Wadlow. “At first I thought I was having a nightmare.”
A local teenager, who Wadlow had never met, was attacking him with what police say appears to be a gun. They cannot confirm the gun is real because they have not recovered it.
The assault was captured in video posted by one of the two suspects to social media, which is now being used as evidence in the case.
“He just kept coming back, hitting me, pistol whipping me, and threatening to kill me,” said Wadlow. “I was just terrified. I just wanted him to stop.”
Eventually the two teens did leave, but not before throwing all of Wadlow's belongings into the harbor.
“All my clothes and all my fishing gear, just what little things I had,” said Wadlow.
He said some of the other belongings he lost include a stash of money he was planning to save for a car, a new tablet he had purchased, and clothes for winter.
“I could care less about the stuff, I just wanted them to leave me alone,” said Wadlow.
Wadlow said the crime is not a reflection of the people in Port Angeles, who he describes as generous and welcoming.
Wadlow reported the crime to the Port Angeles Police Department the afternoon of the attack, with bruises on his body and cracked ribs. Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith said he is glad that Wadlow reported the crime, adding that when he saw the video, his first thought was how awful it must have been for Wadlow.
“This is a person that's been victimized who hopefully will recover, but you know this is life-altering stuff,” Smith said.
Smith said violence against strangers is rare in the city, which he said is generally a safe place.
“This is stranger violence,” said Smith. “This is a place if you'd asked me, ‘Would I be safe at 5:30 at City Pier in the morning?’ I'd say absolutely.”
Smith said the video was posted to social media just as police were preparing to arrest the two teens for the crime. He said they have dealt with both teens before — one more than the other.
“They've had opportunities, with their involvement with the criminal justice system, to make different decisions,” said Smith.
While the decision of these strangers had a negative impact on Wadlow, the choices of another stranger would soon do the opposite.
“A friend of mine told me, ‘There's some girl running around looking for you,’” said Wadlow.
The girl his friend was referring to is Brianna Gillett, a Port Angeles resident who said when she saw the video of the attack, she was sick to her stomach. She knew something needed to be done. She knew she needed to find Wadlow.
“I wanted him to see the good in this community because there's so much good,” said Brianna Gillett.
She has been with Wadlow every day since she found him.
“He's funny, and he's just kind of a goofball,” said Gillett. “He's sweet, he's so sweet."
She knew many people in the community wanted to help him, so she took it upon herself to make sure he received the support that the community wanted to give.
“The community has come together and everybody just wants to do so much for him,” said Gillett.
She connected him to a group called Healthy Families secured him a hotel room to sleep in, connected him with a salon that gave him a free haircut, purchased him clothing, and started a GoFundMe to help him get back on his feet and into permanent housing.
“I feel better, it just reminds me of who I was at one time,” said Wadlow of his new haircut.
The support has been overwhelming for Wadlow, he said. He was brought to tears by the fact that so many people have shown him love and support.
“I’m grateful, grateful that people care,” said Wadlow.
When asked what Wadlow will do next, he said he has thought about it a lot and is a bit overwhelmed at the moment. He said he will do “the next right thing” and will not take any of opportunities for granted.
“You know, a lot of doors have opened up for me,” said Wadlow. “So, I’m just going to take them one at a time and be grateful for it.”
The two teens are in jail and both have bail set at $100,000.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Wadlow.