I guess I'm in the minority. HCP finally gets one right. Hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.
since I am not reading 5 pages of typical S2 bickering. to the OP; To answer your question "wtf was batum doing there?" Simple: he was nutt-shotting the guy to give him something to cry about....
With the state pen and mental hospital, the streets of Salem can be surprisingly skitzky, depending on the neighborhood and time of night.
After getting jumped by a gang of legislators when the bar closes, you'll be ready to walk around the nefarious Klickitat/20th Ave in the daylight. http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/or/portland/crime/