I Am Shane Becker

I will be on the Dori Monson show today (May 13th) at Noon (Pacific Time). If you’re in the Seattle area, you can tune into 97.3 FM. On the internet you can listen from their website. To use their in-browser player, you will need to have Microsoft Silverlight installed (gross) or use Windows Media Player (also, gross). Alternately, you can use their streaming MP3 in any decent audio application (iTunes, I’m looking your way). You can call in toll free at (888) 973-5476. You can email into the show through their website, too.

Also, you can email me directly (veganstraightedge@gmail.com) or on Twitter you can send me a direct message (if I’m following you) or @veganstraightedge%20" title="Twitter">@reply me.

Here are a few quick updates on things that have happened related to that blog post that I wrote about what happened at REI.

About The Spectacle of This Incident

• As of this writing about 90,000 people have viewed that first post. That blows my mind.
• The photo has been viewed about 4,000 times on Flickr.
• My Twitter account (veganstraightedge) has about 100 more followers.
• It was first on reddit.
• It was first on Slashdot
• The Stranger wrote an article on their blog (Slog) about it.
• The Consumerist wrote a story about it.
• My photo’s Flickr page is the first result when you google “rei atm”
• I was invited to appear on The Dori Monson Show. After initially considering it, my friends and I discussed it and decided that it wasn’t worth it.
• I got called a douche bag about a godzillion times.
• My photo was used on a bunch of sites. About half the time I was attributed as the photographer.
• A handful of sites either wrote a little story based on what was written on my blog, Boing Boing or The Consumerist.
• Even more just copied Boing Boing’s or Crunch Gear’s story verbatim.

About The Actual Incident

• I was not arrested for trespassing. That much is clear. I was not told to leave. I was told in no uncertain terms that I could not leave. The cops had me sign a card as I was being released that acknowledged that (someone at) REI requested that I be trespassed. That means if I go back to REI within a year I can be arrested for trespassing. Although…
• The downtown Seattle REI general manager, Kara Stone, was quoted on Slog saying that I am “welcome to come into our store” and that REI did not request I be trespassed. According to the Slog story, the Seattle Police records show otherwise. I’m guessing that the REI security people told the cops to do it and that the general manager was unawares of it. Either way, I’m not racing back there anytime soon.
• It’s not clear (to me and others) if I was ‘arrested’ or just ‘detained’ or if the difference is just semantics. I never said in my post that I was arrested. I said that I was cuffed, taken out of the store by the cops, put in a police car and put into a holding cell for some time. Whether that was “arrested” or not, I’m not sure.
• When I was released from the police station, it didn’t seem like any charges were being pressed against me. But when I tried to get the police report, I was reminded that charges can be pressed after the fact. So as of now, nothing more has happened with the police. We’ll see if that changes.
• I was read my Miranda Rights when I was in the holding cell.
• I was in cuffs the whole time I was in the cell.
• We never completed the transaction for the thing I was trying to special order. So there’s not going to be any awkward “can you bring it out to the sidewalk” moment.
• If there are more questions that you have or clarifications that you want, email me (veganstraightedge@gmail.com).

About What’s Happening Now/Next

• I went downtown to request a copy of the police report. Because I’m listed as a suspect on the report, I can’t get it for a week while it’s in a process called ‘Public Disclosure’. This is in case there is any possible pending investigation. People listed as victims can get the report right away (as I understand it).
• Someone (who wasn’t me) filed a complaint to the Seattle Police Department Office of Professional Accountability on my behalf. The OPA emailed me telling me, they’d contact me more later about it.
• I contacted the The ACLU Washington State. They had already heard about what happened. We’re talking more.

The comments on every site where this story appeared spiraled out of control and off topic pretty quickly. My site is the only one where I have any control. So I’m trying something different than before. Comments are turned off. If you want to tell me something or ask a question, you can email me (veganstraightedge@gmail.com).

Update 1: I was interviewed on NPR member station KUOW in Seattle, WA today (May 13th). The full show can be heard at http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=17542. This is the few minutes that was about me and what happened at REI (mp3).

Update 2: Here’s the audio from the Dori Monson show today (May 13th) where we talked about the ATM/REI/Loomis incident (mp3). It’s just the actual show parts, no news or commercials. It was edited down by Matt Misbach. (Thanks, Matt). I’m pretty happy with how the show turned out.

Update 3: Mark Sangerman took this picture of me as I was being arrested by Officer Abed.

It would be remiss of me to not point out (to the thousands of visitors I’m getting) that I make and sell shirts with my friend (Bookis). They are available at The Resistance Army. They are $15 each.

Questions, comments, suggestions, editorial corrections, death threats, love letters, deathbed confessions, insider whistle blowing, vegan cookie recipes, high fives, bike rides, chilling exposes, or media requests? Email me. (veganstraightedge@gmail.com)