By Junior Bouffon, Staff Writer
Portland Police Department and rescue crews were dispatched Saturday afternoon to Portland Saturday Market in response to a 911 call for help in an effort to rescue one of Portland’s most renowned street performers.
It seems that Willy the Mime found himself in quite the pickle when he was in the middle of his world famous performance in which he locks himself into a glass box. When interviewed by Street Roots, Officer Heinz of the Portland Police Department stated, “We were out of options. It came down to the Jaws of Life” Officer Heinz also told SR, “We really did not expect it to end this way.”
Witness One Man Band, one of the few Portland-native street performers, a guitar playing musician on roller skates, told Street Roots “The rescuers seemed confused at first,” he said. “It was as if they thought that the mime was on fire and tried to put him out.” Harry followed, saying, “Then they were playing tug-o-war for sometime before Willy just gave up.”
“I was on my way back from lunch when I noticed Willy was in trouble, fellow performer Twisty the Flexible said. “Then the police and fire department began to focus on talking Willy down from Skidmore Fountain.” When asked if he thought the mime might have actually jumped off the fountain, officer Jordan responded, “That was our gut feeling.”
Willy was unresponsive to Project Respond’s request for a commitment to a safety plan. “We really need to have a verbal commitment of that he will avoid glass boxes for at least 24 hours,” outreach worker Anitta Hand told SR. “Even after the officers Tazed Willy, he still was unresponsive.”
According to police reports, Hobble leg restraints, approved for use when officers feel that the offender is experiencing excited delirium, were eventually used to subdue Willy.
Portland Police Department has refused to give an official statement regarding Willy’s injuries sustained when police officers used the Jaws of Life, but an unidentified officer at the scene said, “We were shocked to see all the glass break so easily, we did not expect him to lose an eye.”