MEDFORD, Ore. — “People are dying out here because they have no where to go. You know, they get on drugs, alcohol and they use that to survive,” said Yolanda Diad, who was camping in Hawthorne Park.
A chaotic scene on Tuesday morning as police removed dozens of homeless people like Diad from Medford’s Hawthorne Park.
Police, arresting 11 people.
“They have a sweep and they take everything I own and then I have to start all over again,” said Diad.
Diad and others got a notice on Monday giving the group 24 hours notice to leave.
She says she’s been living on the Bear Creek Greenway since 2013 but living here, felt like a safe haven.
“On the greenway you never know what’s going to come your way,” she said. “I’ve been beat up, I’ve been raped.”
A group calling itself ‘Hawthorne Mutual Aid’ says it organized the camp within the last week.
“They’re kicking people out of Hawthorne Park simply because they don’t like the look of them,” said David Teague, a Talent resident.
Teague says the tent city was like a community center for fire victims with food services, even a medical tent.
“I think it’s horrible. These people were displaced by the fires and all the services that they’ve been offering and saying that they’ve been refusing are absolutely full,” he said.
Medford Police tell us the group is not an official non-profit and says only two people were fire victims taken to the Jackson County Expo.
They say the tent city is a health and safety hazard for the community.
“I cannot tell you how many needles we came across this morning and are still dealing with over there,” said Lt. Trevor Arnold, Medford Police Dept.
Lt. Arnold says officers went tent to tent on Monday connecting 34 people with services from local non-profit Rogue Retreat.
He says 36 people refused the help.
“There’s a lot of people who say they don’t want to go into a shelter or into a program because there’s too many rules. There’s regulations they have to abide by and many people weren’t interested in following those rules,” said Lt. Arnold, Medford Police Dept.
Police say the park will be closed until Thursday morning to give employees time to do maintenance and clean up.
We’re told a Jefferson Public Radio reporter was arrested this morning.
She was reportedly taken into custody on charges of interfering with a police officer, trespassing, and resisting arrest.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.