Update: Police respond to “disturbance” at Delridge/Juneau

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Thanks to Sage K for e-mailing first word of this: We’re checking out the scene at Delridge/Juneau (map), kitty-corner from the north end of Chief Sealth High School’s temporary campus at Boren, where at least half a dozen police cars are in view. All police will tell us at the scene is that they were “asked to respond to a disturbance.” There are no aid/medic calls on 911, so whatever happened apparently does not involve injury. We’ll update with whatever else we find out. ADDED 12:24 PM: Photo above shows part of the police presence. We also have a reader photo taken looking over the scene, showing a fairly large group of officers and people they appear to be questioning, but we’re not going to post that until and unless we can blur/cover faces, because (a) we don’t know who’s accused of what, and (b) they appear to be juveniles. Meantime, we had checked with Seattle Public Schools‘ communications office to see if this was related to anything on campus, and spokesperson David Tucker checked for us – whatever happened, he says, took place off-campus, so information will have to come from police. ADDED 1:05 PM: Sage K blurred the faces in one of the photos she took (which wasn’t closeup on anyone to start with):

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LATE AFTERNOON UPDATE: Mentioned this in comments and working on a separate followup, but bottom line, from a conversation with Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Paulsen – the big response was due in no small part to the fact that it was reported one of the participants (reportedly NOT a Sealth student) was believed to have a gun. No gun was found – one knife, though. And he confirms what we had perceived from the lack of an aid/medic call – no injuries.

37 Replies to "Update: Police respond to "disturbance" at Delridge/Juneau"

  • GenHillOne September 30, 2008 (1:13 pm)

    may have been off campus, but during lunch -please keep us updated

  • WSB September 30, 2008 (1:25 pm)

    I’ve got messages out to the precinct too and will definitely update with any info I get.

  • mellaw6565 September 30, 2008 (1:38 pm)

    Most likely a fight – very common during lunches

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (1:50 pm)

    ah, I love it here ..

  • mellaw6565 September 30, 2008 (1:51 pm)

    WS – it happens in all schools everywhere, not just in Seattle. Fights in the schoolyard have been going on since schools were first formed.

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (1:52 pm)

    Well, no police had to show up when I went to school. Am I crazy for wanting that for the kids of today?

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (1:56 pm)

    Like I, or anyone old enough to go online, need to be told fights have been going on since schools were formed.

  • GenHillOne September 30, 2008 (1:57 pm)

    times have changed rats…patrol cars come to football games (all over) now

    waiting to see what the police say, but if a few did something wrong, I’m okay with sending a strong message – good for the 95% who are well-behaved

  • mellaw6565 September 30, 2008 (2:02 pm)

    Police show up today because of liability issues – teachers/staff can’t step in and parents sue other parents for assaults on their kids. That’s the reality WS – I’m guessing you don’t have kids.

  • Sage K September 30, 2008 (2:04 pm)

    I was during lunch time. It happened between Sealth kids and outsiders. I can tell you it wasn’t a typical fight. The principal and security usually take care of those.

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (2:05 pm)

    I have 2 thanks, never had to sue anyone but sadly it’s the only way to get peoples attention these days. If not judges, jurors like you and I are the ones awarding settlements so unless you and I are crazy ..

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (2:09 pm)

    What did I say that is leading people to think I don’t know what is going on today in WS?

  • mellaw6565 September 30, 2008 (2:12 pm)

    WS – I’m an ex-lawyer, so they never pick me as a juror and I know the behind the scenes real info, so I would rarely give a big award unless necessary.

    Also, you said “I love it HERE” – interpreted to mean that WS or Seattle schools are somehow more violent than other places.

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (2:22 pm)

    I’ve never been in the legal field but have close ties to the prosecutors office and civil litigation.. I wouldn’t give a big settlement either unless it was warranted.

    You assumed. When I said I love it here what I meant was it’s too bad we live in a world now where the police have to be on or close to campus or that parents sue each other for that matter.

    I realize how things are but don’t see a problem with wanting them to be different/better.

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (2:23 pm)

    clarification- I have a relative who is a prosecutor and several relatives who are in private practice.

  • mellaw6565 September 30, 2008 (2:30 pm)

    Sorry I misunderstood. I agree it’s sad – and scary when it happens as well. Most teachers don’t want to get hurt and these kids don’t stop once they start and don’t care who gets in the way. It’s boys and girls – girls are the tougher fights to break up.

    Schools have become microcosms of society as a whole.

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (2:38 pm)

    Well, my comment wasn’t that clear to begin with. I’m too sarcastic for my own good. LOL.

    Good point about the society and schools.

  • mellaw6565 September 30, 2008 (2:47 pm)

    No worries mate!

  • WSratsinacage September 30, 2008 (2:48 pm)

    cool

  • the_bridge_to_somewhere September 30, 2008 (3:17 pm)

    Wow, I’m really surprised and a bit disappointed how people reacted to an innocent comment from one of our own (e.g., WS). Can’t we learn to be a bit more tolerant of someone who expresses an opinion different than our own?

    Looking at the picture above, this doesn’t seem like an ordinary schoolyard fight; regardless, so what if WS doesn’t feel warm and fuzzy about such an event? Relax people!

  • bogustaxi September 30, 2008 (3:34 pm)

    Yes, there have been fights as long as there have been schools (and even before), but a six-unit response seems like more than a schoolyard brawl.
    Last year with Cleveland at Boren there wasn’t this fussin’ & fightin’. There were some problems when W. Seattle High School was there, but again, not this bad.

    Maybe they should go back to “closed campus” like we had back in the day. There was still some fighting, but more confined and easier to control by school security.

  • Chillin September 30, 2008 (3:42 pm)

    Agreed Bridge, I was glad to see that people relaxed a little on WS, but the bickering was totally not necessary.

  • luapunch September 30, 2008 (3:43 pm)

    this aint none of ya’ll buisiness

  • WSB September 30, 2008 (3:43 pm)

    Update, just talked with Lt. Paulsen at Southwest Precinct and will be posting a separate update shortly. Bottom line, they got a report that somebody involved in this disturbance, a non-student, might have had a gun, and therefore the big response. No gun found (somebody did have a knife, though).

  • Gina September 30, 2008 (3:47 pm)

    I’m pretty sure that teachers are glad to have information to the world outside the schoolroom (the internet) during the classroom day. That is something that has sure changed since my school days.

    Hooray for the Information Highway!

  • GenHillOne September 30, 2008 (3:56 pm)

    bridge, it was a misunderstanding and resolved, all good now.

    I mentioned police at football because the only one I remember from the “old days” had a son on the team, LOL.

    Thanks Sage & WSB for the reports.

  • d September 30, 2008 (3:57 pm)

    Hey –

    I just happen to be at the Delridge Library awhile ago. The librarian told me that the library peeps were the folks who called 911. She said there was a couple of groups of teenagers on the brink of fighting. She said they were told to always call 911 and so that’s what they did. So, whatever went down, went down in the library.

  • d September 30, 2008 (4:03 pm)

    correction: that should read “around” the library…have no idea if it was IN the library.

  • Gina September 30, 2008 (4:45 pm)

    Delridge Library doesn’t open until 1 on Tuesdays, so whatever happened, happened outside.

  • WSB September 30, 2008 (5:06 pm)

    Actually I believe what happened in/near the library was later. After we had already been to the scene by the school, I was still listening to the scanner when I heard about a call from the library (this would have been 1-plus, I believe) that might have had something to do with the incident. Data point.

  • Delfino September 30, 2008 (6:34 pm)

    Don’t worry, as we heard last year during the Sealth-Denny merger conflict, we don’t have any problems, right Genhill? Certainly nothing that 13 police cars and the committed staff of Sealth can’t handle anyway. Look closely at the picture, the one in the blue shirt next to the officer at the NW corner trying to point out outsiders, intervene with students, and calm down over zealous officers is me.

    The good news is that I hear Denny is real calm this year……..

  • GenHillOne September 30, 2008 (8:09 pm)

    Wow, Delfino, really? Maybe we can talk at Open House on Thursday.

    Is there additional information that would show that location would make a difference when we’re talking about outside influences? If so, I’d be interested. I’m also interested in a closed campus during the school day, but that’s just a personal preference.

  • Kaylee September 30, 2008 (8:57 pm)

    Don’t want to get things off track, but CSHS going to Boren was always a given. And have I been the only one reading about the new wave of gang activity all over town? I know that you have passionate feelong about the colocation Delfino, but this is awfully unrelated.

  • Patrick September 30, 2008 (9:32 pm)

    and people are upset about having a jail built in the area……..

  • Denny September 30, 2008 (9:34 pm)

    I think the building behind the young men is a licensed child care for preschoolers. I hope those little kids are ok (and didn’t get cabin fever from a lockdown). This would have been a tough day for those teachers.
    Delfino, I’m glad you’re working with the cops to calm down everyone involved, and I hope the young people who make bad decisions are held legally responsible with clear consequences.

  • Caduceus October 1, 2008 (12:04 am)

    That daycare in that photo belongs to a friend of mine (The mother of my best friend for 10 years, more specifically)

    No one from her day care was harmed in any way, although every was rather excited. :P

  • Caduceus October 1, 2008 (12:05 am)

    *everyone

Sorry, comment time is over.