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2019 Tacoma attack
2019 Tacoma attack is located in Washington (state)
Northwest Detention Center
Northwest Detention Center
2019 Tacoma attack is located in the United States
2019 Tacoma attack
LocationNorthwest Detention Center, Tacoma, Washington, United States
DateJuly 13, 2019 (2019-07-13)
TargetU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Deaths1 (suspected perpetrator)

On July 13, 2019, American anarchist and political activist Willem van Spronsen is suspected to have attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Tacoma, Washington, with incendiary devices and a firearm. He was shot dead by police as he was reportedly attempting to ignite a propane tank.[1][2][3]

According to the Washington Post, von Spronsen was an anarchist who claimed to be associated with antifa.[4]

Incident

The incident took place at 4 a.m. at the Northwest Detention Center, a privately owned detention center for undocumented immigrants.[1] Four officers arrived at the scene and called to Van Spronsen, who they claim was also wearing satchel and carrying flares, before reporting “shots fired.” According to the statement by the Tacoma Police Department, suspect “attempted to ignite a large propane tank and set out buildings on fire,” and "continued throwing lit objects at the buildings and cars.” [5] Van Spronsen, who was reported to have been carrying a rifle, was accused of throwing fire bombs at vehicles, setting a car aflame, and attempting to ignite a propane tank.[2][6] Friends of van Spronsen received farewell letters from him.[2] They describe him as an anarchist and anti-fascist.[2] The Washington Post describes von Spronsen as an anarchist who claimed to be associated with antifa.[4]

Police search warrant documents state that van Spronsen was carrying an AR-15 style rifle and was in possession of a cellphone that contained "surveillance-type" videos of the ICE detention facility when he was shot and killed.[7]

A security video now in the possession of the police is said to show van Spronsen blowing up a vehicle and throwing Molotov cocktails at buildings.[7]

Shawn Fallah, head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility, said that, “This could have resulted in the mass murder of staff and detainees housed at the facility, had he been successful at setting the tank ablaze,... These are the kinds of incidents that keep you up at night.”[4]

Suspect

Willem van Spronsen (1950-2019) was a Dutch-born carpenter and a resident of Vashon, Washington[8][1] who had been arrested previously during a demonstration at the same ICE detention center in June 2018.[1][9][10] In the earlier incident he had a physical altercation with a police officer during an effort to free a protestor who was detained.[1] Police have alleged that Van Spronsen was armed with a baton and a folding knife.[1]

Van Spronsen's daughter, who describes herself as an advocate of liberal pacifism, describes her father as a supporter of Anarchism but had written that she disagreed with him "on some principles, such as the use of force and weapons in the fight."[11]

Van Spronsen had been active in social media under the name Emma Durutti, combing the names of historic anarchists Emma Goldman and Buenaventura Durruti. Van Spronsen was also a member of the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club and active in the Occupy Wall Street protests.[12][8] Van Spronsen was involved in Alcoholics Anonymous.[13]

Manifesto

Alleged attacker had written a manifesto laying out what he viewed as a political justification for attacking the ICE facility.[7][4][14] In his "manifesto" van Spronsen stated that "it’s time to take action against the forces of evil," citing "highly profitable detention/concentration camps and a battle over the semantics."[15][10] Political commentator Noah Rothman described an "impromptu shrine" that appeared at the place where Rothman died.[16] Clifton Collins Jr. described the arson attack as a "child liberation event."[16] Political activist Shaun King described van Spronsen as a "martyr."[16]

The text of the manifesto was post online by radio station KIRO.suspect's manifesto, posted by [[KIRO-TV

Response

After van Spronsen was shot and killed by the police, Seattle Antifascist Action called van Spronsen “our good friend and comrade Willem Van Spronsen,” said that he “became a martyr who gave his life to the struggle against fascism,” and called for similar actions to be undertaken in his memory.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Armed man killed during attack on ICE detention center, police say". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  2. ^ a b c d "Armed man attacking Tacoma's ICE detention center killed in officer-involved shooting". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  3. ^ Sailor, Craig (13 July 2014). "Tacoma police shoot and kill attacker at center for ICE detainees". Tacoma News Tribune. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Iata, Marissa; Knowles, Hannah (19 July 2019). "ICE detention-center attacker killed by police was an avowed anarchist, authorities say". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  5. ^ Menendez, Pilar (14 July 2019). "Washington Man Accused of Hurling Molotov Cocktails at ICE Detention Center Killed by Police". Daily Beast. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  6. ^ Padilla, Mariel (13 July 2019). "Man Attacking ICE Detention Center Is Fatally Shot by the Police". New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Krell, Alexis (18 July 2019). "'Maybe it was his last stand.' Man killed at Tacoma detention center felt strongly about ICE". News Tribune. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Willem Van Spronsen aka Emma Durutti: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  9. ^ Fedschum, Travis (15 July 2019). "Washington ICE detention center attacker Willem Van Spronsen wrote 'I am Antifa' manifesto before assault". Fox News. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  10. ^ a b Andy Ngo (17 July 2019). "Liberals cheer as antifa violence escalates". New York Post. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  11. ^ "'His heart was tender and large.' Daughter of antifa killed at Northwest Detention Center reflects on his life". KUOW. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  12. ^ Diavolo, Lucy (15 June 2019). "ICE Protests Draw Thousands as Immigration Detention Facilities Face More Militant Direct Actions". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  13. ^ https://www.kuow.org/stories/his-heart-was-tender-and-large-daughter-of-antifa-killed-at-northwest-detention-center-reflects-on-his-life
  14. ^ Horne, Deborah (15 July 2019). "Vashon Island man sent manifesto before he was killed at detention center". KIRO. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  15. ^ Liphshiz, Cnaan (19 July 2019). "Man killed outside Washington detention center cites 'concentration camp' debate in manifesto". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  16. ^ a b c Noah Rothman (16 July 2019). "The 'Incitement to Violence' Asymmetry". Commentary (magazine). Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  17. ^ Morton, Victor (15 July 2019). "Antifa lauds 'martyr' who attacked ICE detention center as manifesto circulates". Washington Times. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
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