Return of the WSBeat: 9 summaries from the SW Precinct files

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

This edition of our periodic feature The WSBeat contains summaries written from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” Or on the bridge, or the beach, or …

*Sunday afternoon, bicycle officers were patrolling in the 3400 block of Beach Drive SW in response to citizen complaints about narcotics and narcotics dealing during summer months. As they approached an Audi they saw a man leaning into the driver’s window, exchanging cash with the driver for a small plastic bag. Coming alongside, they saw the passenger trying to hide more plastic bags under the seat, and spotted a wad of bills (totaling $1738) on the driver’s lap. Both individuals were taken into custody for Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (VUCSA) with intent to deliver and manufacture. The small bags tested positive for cocaine and were packaged as evidence. In accordance with law, the money and the cellphones of both men were seized due to their likely association with drug sales. The driver was dismayed to learn that his vehicle (“But I have only one more payment!”) would be seized as well.

*(Editor’s note: This was one of the Alki-area street-robbery reports we had been trying to find out more about:) Late Saturday, friends were socializing in Whale Tail Park (5800 block of SW Lander) when a group of seven or eight males approached. One grabbed a gold chain from around the neck of the victim, who responded with profanities. At this, the robber pulled a semi automatic pistol from his waistband, shoved it into the victim’s torso and then demanded his belt (an expensive one…it is unclear how the robber knew about the belt, which was hidden under the victim’s shirt). The robber and his friends walked off southbound. Only description of the group members: A mix of Samoan and Black males in their late teens or early twenties. One wore a bright red cap. The primary suspect was described as a Samoan male. The victims, who all live in West Seattle, said they did not know any of them.

*Thursday, in the 4400 block of Delridge Way, a Kent resident was arrested for investigation of car prowling after he climbed into a car while a woman was loading it with items. She was “spooked” by his behavior and went back into a building for assistance. He took the opportunity to help himself to her belongings, including a laptop computer. Officers caught him trying to leave the scene and were able to return all items to the victim.

*On Monday, officers responded to a reported assault at California and Juneau. The victim, who was being treated for a painful thumb laceration, reported that his unstable “friend” had shown up asked for cab fare, and then bit him on the thumb.

*The parent of a local high-school student was arrested on Monday after she reportedly harassed and threatened the principal, claiming that a bomb was in the building. No bomb was found.

*An Arbor Heights resident came to the precinct to complain about his “biased” mail carrier. “He has an aggressive walking fashion,” he explained to the desk officer. “And when I asked him ‘What’s your problem?’ he said, ‘I walk like this because I’m a Marine.” The officer didn’t feel that such a stride constituted a bias problem, but suggested that the complainant, if still concerned, should take up the issue with Post Office officials.

*A “vulnerable” Delridge man was advised by both his caseworker and by officers to stop funding a bank account for (and to have no more contact with) a woman he had met online. According to the fellow, he was making the deposits voluntarily so that the woman could withdraw money and come and visit him.

Police handle more crises than crimes much of the time, and these are two examples:

*On Friday the 12th (today), an officer arrived at a California Ave. coffee shop to investigate the manager’s concerns about a regular customer’s disruptive and erratic behavior. The subject answered the officer’s questions calmly, but he also interjected delusional statements such as, “We don’t have much time ….the planet is losing water,” and at times appeared confused. After hearing about a violent incident had occurred the previous day with another customer, the officer decided that evaluation needed to be made. A Mobile Crisis Team concluded the man was at risk of endangering himself or others. The 58-year-old West Seattle resident was transported to Harborview for a mental evaluation.

*Noticing that his 14-year-old son seemed in a down mood, dad tried to engage him in conversation. Son suddenly grabbed a hunting knife and made a stabbing motion toward his own neck. Dad tackled the boy and was able to pin him down until police arrived. He was returned to Children’s Hospital, where he had recently completed a two-week mental evaluation.

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EDITOR’S NOTES: Remember, the CRISIS CLINIC hotline is a resource for those in crisis, including thoughts or acts of self-harm, or trying to find help for someone in crisis: 206.461.3222 … Previous WSBeat roundups are archived here. We also publish crime reports when we get tips or otherwise hear about noteworthy incidents – they don’t all turn up on the scanner, so please don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening = call or text 206-293-6302.

8 Replies to "Return of the WSBeat: 9 summaries from the SW Precinct files"

  • Matt S. June 12, 2015 (11:31 pm)

    I think I speak for all of us when I say that these aggressively-postured mail carriers are out of control around here.

  • barb June 12, 2015 (11:44 pm)

    Thanks for the update. What are all the sirens and helicopters for between Gatewood and Highpoint right now?

    • WSB June 13, 2015 (12:41 am)

      Don’t know … been out for a while, and there’s nothing on the 911 log.

  • Westie June 13, 2015 (5:55 am)

    I feel better knowing we have a Marine-mailman on the job in the area. Go Marines!

  • Rick June 13, 2015 (7:51 am)

    Once a mailman-always a mailman. Semper Postal!

  • acemotel June 13, 2015 (9:09 am)

    @MattS. :-)
    I can’t stop laughing.

  • Matt S. June 13, 2015 (12:02 pm)

    @acemotel I was laughing (like a crazy) at my phone when I read the summary. Some peoples’ serious is way funnier than my best humor; “he has an aggressive walking fashion” is a gem of a complaint.

  • AH Neighbor June 14, 2015 (7:38 am)

    Wishing the complainer of the postman all the luck in his complaining journey, but we (also in arbor heights) had a very serious problem with our last postman, and the post office refused to do anything about it. That being said, we have an awesome postman now! C’est la vie.

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