The WSBeat: Rock vs. taxi; ‘grandma?’; marshmallow mystery

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*Monday, just after midnight, as a taxi dropped off a fare at 32nd and SW Genesee, the occupants (which included a child) were startled by a loud crash: Someone had thrown a rock at the windshield, shattering the upper-right section. A suspect was spotted nearby and was thought to be the “neighborhood homeless man” who had been living in a car on the street for at least a week and been an annoyance to residents. (He was reported to have a history of violence, substance abuse, access to handguns, and hostility toward law enforcement.) The suspect called 911 later and claimed that an officer had stolen his cell phone. He returned to the scene, and although his clothes matched those described by the victims, he denied any involvement with the rock incident. He agreed to move on after being told about the neighborhood concerns.

Eight more summaries ahead:

*Tuesday, in the 7700 block of 11th SW, a 25-year-old kicked his 19-year-old girlfriend “as you would drop-kick a football.” When she tried to call police, he threw the phone to the ground, straddled her and placed his hand over her mouth to prevent her screaming. Feeling she wasn’t muffled enough, he stuffed a garment in her mouth and held it there until she had trouble breathing and agreed not to scream. When he let her go, she picked up the phone, he grabbed a pair of scissors and threatened to stab her. She isolated herself in a bedroom while waiting for officers (who, upon arrival, were greeted by an aggressive dog). When the victim exited the home, officers saw a fist imprint —complete with finger marks — covering the side of her swollen and bruised face. The boyfriend was booked into King County Jail for investigation of domestic violence assault and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.

*Around 10 p.m. on Wednesday the 8th, citizens reported hearing a sobbing woman in the 6500 block of 44th SW. One saw an woman exiting a supposedly vacant house in that block at the same time a small white car sped away. When nearby residents came to help, she said she had been assaulted inside. She later told officers that she’d been punched, kneed, grabbed, and shoved into a wall by the suspect, a man she had met the previous day. Damage to the interior of the home backed up her claims. Despite the urgings of medics, ambulance personnel, and officers, she refused treatment for what was thought to be a fractured arm. The 37-year-old suspect, a Morgan Junction resident, was arrested a short time later when he returned to the area.

*One report from the port protests on Monday: That afternoon, masked protesters surrounded a vehicle that was stopped in traffic at Spokane St. and E. Marginal Way. They punched the driver’s side door and hit the car with sticks; one protester laid his bicycle down in front of the car and then jumped onto the hood, denting it as he walked across. Trying to get out of the area, and afraid of being assaulted, the driver drove slowly over the bike and down to a nearby union hall, where he called 911 to report the incident.

*Late Monday, concerned that a relative would “die on the street from an overdose,” a family member called 911 to report that the subject —who was wanted on a $40,000 warrant — was in an upstairs bedroom of a house on SW Holly. He was arrested without incident and booked into King County Jail.

*On Friday morning, the 9th, a truck driver heading south on California Ave. SW decided that he, instead, needed to be headed northbound. While trying to turn at Hanford, he got his rig stuck and ended up blocking all traffic in the intersection. In trying to maneuver his way to freedom, he backed into (and destroyed) a curbside mailbox.

*On Friday the 9th, a citizen received a phone call from a man who called her “Grandma” and asked for money in order to get back home from a funeral. The savvy senior replied something to the effect of “Gee, you don’t sound like my grandson. And besides, he doesn’t call me ‘Grandma.’” The caller responded with a hearty “F&^# you!” before hanging up.

*A man with a history of psychosis was found wandering naked — in 39-degree weather — in a greenbelt east of the 3000 block of SW Bradford on Saturday. He complied with officers and explained that he had simply been praying. He was transported to Harborview for treatment and evaluation.

*On Tuesday afternoon, a citizen called 911 from a residence in the 8600 block of 22nd SW, very concerned about an object in her mailbox. “It looks like a marshmallow,” she said. “But it is too big to be a marshmallow.” Officers arrived and recognized the suspect on sight. A routine records check showed no wants or warrants for the puffy fellow, so the subject was given a courtesy transport to a nearby garbage can.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The WSBeat has an archive category of its own. We also continue to publish crime reports the rest of the week, when we get tips or hear noteworthy incidents via the scanner, so don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening = calling or texting 206-293-6302 is the best way.

16 Replies to "The WSBeat: Rock vs. taxi; 'grandma?'; marshmallow mystery"

  • Ted Diamond December 17, 2011 (2:05 am)

    A different account of what seems like the same confrontation between cyclist and motorist at Port of Seattle can be found at http://oneangryqueer.blogspot.com/2011/12/ians-account-port-shutdown-part-2.html: “One motorist, angry at our presence, decided instead of waiting for us to pass that he would put on the gas and speed through our march. We watched in horror as a member of our bike swarm was hit. In order to avoid being dragged under the car, he jumped on the hood and was catapulted over the roof of the vehicle to fall to the side of the road. The car sped away…One Occupier, Joseph H., approached a police car that had arrived on scene with lights flashing. He attempted to give the license plate number to the authorities, but the officer rebuffed him until he threatened to take his picture and report him for his failure to act. Information has not yet been forthcoming regarding the hit and run, but the victim miraculously sustained only minor injuries.”

  • CandrewB December 17, 2011 (7:25 am)

    And the truth lies somewhere in between

  • orca December 17, 2011 (8:11 am)

    I think there actually was a video of a protester jumping up and down on a hood of a car. Is this the same incident. If so, the post by TedDiamond is in error.

  • metrognome December 17, 2011 (8:12 am)

    maybe its because I haven’t had my coffee yet, but I don’t get the last one …

  • Rick December 17, 2011 (8:17 am)

    Yeah,occupier critical mass type bike protester. You got my support. Uuh huuh.

  • Question December 17, 2011 (8:30 am)

    So let me see of I got this straight. The person on the bike was “catapulted” over the car. And fell onto concrete. And the car “put on the gas and sped through” your march. So it mist have hit the bicyclist relatively hard. And yet the person on the bike only sustained minor injuries???

    Sorry but that sounds like bs. Either the car wasn’t “speeding through your march” or the guy wasn’t “catapulted” over the car. Eithe way the guy is lying or exaggerating.

    Tell you what, go do an experiment. Run as fast as you can straight into a wall. And see if you have minor injuries. And that is at probably 5 miles an hour. If the car was even doing 15 it would hurt a heck of a lot more.

    I have been stopped as a result of these people. I would bet this person is also part if occupy mass protests. I have been stopped because of those people too. They are out of control most times and breaking the law. Not gonna get any sympathy from me.

  • AJP December 17, 2011 (8:37 am)

    I don’t get the last one either…

  • kate December 17, 2011 (8:38 am)

    Hmmm…..I didn’t get the marshmallow one either. Was it a toy left in a mailbox?

  • mpento December 17, 2011 (10:00 am)

    I think the last one was a doughnut. Officers “recognized the suspect on sight”. Probably news worthy for the emotional scars induced by having to transport the innocent suspect to the garbage can. A stark contrast to taking a scumbag boyfriend to King county Jail.

  • Rumble December 17, 2011 (10:10 am)

    After reading those articles I’m glad I’m not a cop, but very appreciative of those who are!

  • datamuse December 17, 2011 (10:51 am)

    Ahh, thanks mpento. I know the other incidents are more serious, but that one has been making me wonder!

  • Alki Resident December 17, 2011 (10:57 am)

    At “Grandma”,so proud of you for being witty and aware of this con artist.

  • Krm66 December 17, 2011 (6:04 pm)

    I saw a picture of the protester standing on the hood of the car, with several other protesters surrounding the car. The picture shows the bike in front of the car. Pretty clear that the protesters are not truthful about what happened. Surround my car, assault me, jump on my hood and I guarantee that I will hit the gas to get pout of there.
    Maybe this is a sign that the majority is getting tired of the occupy antics.

  • churchlady December 17, 2011 (7:28 pm)

    I live on 21st &Roxbury and today around 9:30 am there was a light skinned black man wondering through every yard on my block. He had a long bright yellow refleter jacket with writing on the back. He told a neighbor he was checking the water meters. I had to run an errand and I saw the man on the next block roaming in another yard but I didnt see any type of Publick Utilities work truck around. Anyone else see this guy? Should I contact the SPU to see if they had workers in this area?

  • JN December 18, 2011 (10:39 pm)

    Given the attitude I saw when I was coming back from work, the protesters were not being aggressive at all, certainly not to the point of attacking a car. I’m slightly more inclined to believing the protester’s account, but there does seem to be a slight exaggeration. But more importantly, I’m still flummoxed over what the “suspect” in the last paragraph is!

  • islewrite December 19, 2011 (2:49 pm)

    The puffy fellow in the mailbox in the last story WAS a marshmallow. :-)

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