In a tragic turn of events, a 73-year-old activist from Portland, Oregon, known for his efforts in aiding homeless encampments, was fatally stabbed on his street by a homeless individual on Monday.
Kenny Housman, who had appointed himself as the neighborhood "sheriff," would vet homeless individuals before allowing them to set up camp on his street. In a shocking development, the alleged assailant has already been released from jail, according to the police.
As reported by The Post Millennial, Housman was discovered with a severe knife wound to his neck. He was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later succumbed. The incident took place around 12:30 am Monday on his street, situated at Southeast 136th Avenue and Clinton Street in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood.
A family member disclosed to KATU that Housman, who owned the entire block of property on Clinton Street, was attempting to mediate a dispute between two homeless campers when he was stabbed in the throat by one of them. Two other campers restrained the suspect until the police arrived. Michael Zamora, a resident of an RV on the street, was alerted to the incident by the screams of the campers. "Mike! This guy is beating up Kenny in the street," they cried out, according to Zamora. "By the time I got there, Kenny was stabbed and bleeding profusely."
The Portland Police informed The Post Millennial that an individual was detained at the scene and the alleged suspect has since been released from custody. The suspect is reportedly cooperating with detectives and has not been charged with a crime, as per the PPB. The Medical Examiner confirmed that Housman's death was a homicide caused by a stab wound.
Housman's street has been the epicenter of a sprawling homeless encampment for several years, complete with RVs, tents, and cars. In a September 2023 report by KATU, Housman revealed that he had taken on the role of "Sheriff of Clinton Street," deciding who could stay and who had to leave. After passing his "screening," Housman would offer support to the homeless, a move that did not sit well with his neighbors.
Housman had set rules against loud generators or late-night parties and was selective about the kind of people he allowed to camp. "Thanks to my efforts catalytic converters, few of them are stolen, gas, few of it is stolen, because you don't want those kinda people that steal catalytic converters and gas, you don't want them on your street. If there are those kinda people, then you have to take steps to get them out. Semi-illegally and semi-legally it's kinda right in the middle," Housman told the network.
His neighbors, however, were vehemently opposed to his methods, arguing that Housman was enabling the campers to stay by providing them with electricity. They voiced concerns about the rise in criminal activity the encampment brought to their neighborhood. Police records indicate that the neighborhood has an above-average number of assaults, weapons violations, and stolen vehicles.
The city of Portland's Street Services Coordination Center issued a statement about Housman's self-appointed role as the neighborhood sheriff, stating, "Mr. Housman has been known to contact city workers and attempt to enable people to stay on the block, though he does not have the authority to monitor the public street bordering his property." Despite the disapproval of his neighbors, Housman maintained that his approach was the only solution to the homeless crisis.
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