SEASIDE, Ore. — The transient who allegedly killed a Seaside Police sergeant in a shootout last week struggled with anger and substance abuse and was described as “a complicated man with a lot of issues.”
Phillip Max Ferry, who was killed after being shot by police, was on post-prison supervision and had a history of assaulting police and resisting arrest.
A visit to the last three places in Seaside where Ferry lived before Friday’s shooting included Restoration House, a nonprofit organization providing housing after prison.
Ferry lived at Restoration House 13 months ago, but has been a transient since then, Executive Director Mark Terranova said.
“We are a clean and sober house and when he comes out of jail, the corrections department uses us to house people,” Terranova said. “They used us to house Phil for a period of time, but he could never stay clean so he lost his housing.”
After leaving Restoration House, Ferry used addresses in Seaside on Third Street and Avenue I.
Ferry was last seen on the Restoration House property 10 days ago. He was kicked out by one of Restoration House’s managers after siphoning gas out of a car, Terranova said.
“He was a complicated man with a lot of issues,” Terranova said. “When certain types of personalities keep drinking and using (drugs), it’s not safe for the community and that’s the number one priority, as far as I’m concerned.”
Terranova said that if the house can’t help people, then they can’t live there.
“It’s often a discussion between corrections, the courts, what’s best for the community,” he said. “When it becomes a situation where all the wraparound services fail, then we can’t have him or anyone like that living here.”
Ferry was compliant during his time at the house and when asked to leave, Terranova said.
Since the shooting, police have asked questions at Restoration House as part of the investigation.
Terranova also knew Sgt. Jason Goodding, the officer who was killed. “He would come here on occasion, whether to come for emergency calls or dealing with individuals in the streets. He was a fine young man, and it’s a great loss,” he said.
State Department of Corrections spokeswoman Betty Bernt said Ferry was on post-prison supervision since October 2012 and would have been under supervision until June.
John Orr, an attorney in Astoria, knew both Goodding and Ferry. “He was a diligent, thoughtful and intelligent officer,” Orr said. “That combination of qualities made him an irreplaceable asset to the law enforcement community.”
Orr was one among many lawyers who represented Ferry over the years.
“There is attorney-client privilege that survives the death of the represented party,” Orr said. “I can say that his problems appear to have derived from chronic substance abuse, which over time, took its toll on his faculties.”
