Over the weekend, after local TV stations reported a teenager had been beaten up in Highland Park early Tuesday and had said his attackers made racist remarks, we promised to work to get the police report as soon as possible. Today’s the first day it’s available; even the SPD media officer who was on call over the weekend did not have access till now. But SPD has now provided the report narrative, and we have transcribed it below in its entirety. One new detail you’ll see in the narrative- an officer spoke with two potential suspects shortly after the victim was discovered:
First, a few notes: This is transcribed from what appears as “officer narrative” on the copy of the report that was made available to media. Where it says “redacted,” that means something was blacked out, which is common practice for names, addresses and other identifying information in most reports provided to the media. HMC means Harborview Medical Center. “Phillipino” is how the report spelled that term, repeatedly, so we have transcribed it as-is. The narrative is by Officer R. Blake:
On 05-25-2010 at approximately 0656 hrs I was dispatched to the area of 17 AV SW and SW Kenyon St to respond with SFD to investigate the report of an assault. On arrival I contacted the Victim (name redacted) (DOB [redacted]) and interviewed him as he was being treated by SFD. SFD believed that he had a broken nose and possibly other internal injuries. (He) was dazed, his face and hands and shirt were covered in blood and his face, ears, head and back were swollen and covered in welts and his teeth were chipped in several places. He stated that he had been walking home [redacted], from a friend’s house (redacted) at about 0200 hrs. He stated that as he approached the stairs located at 14 AV SW and SW Holden St he was confronted by a black male and a Phillipino male (both early 20’s) standing at the top of the stairs. He stated that they asked him for a “light” and when he approached them on the stairs the two surrounded him and started taking items out of his pockets. (He) stated that he tried to push them off and get away but they both began hitting him with their fists and dragging him up the stairs. He stated that as they beat him they also took his Memorex touch screen MP3 player, $27 and change, his black puffy coat, and his belt (black leather with red square shaped studs).
[He] stated that the two males took him to the area where 14 AV SW dead ends just south of SW Holden St and continued to beat him until approximately 0615 hrs when they departed. He stated that during the approximately 4 hours that they held him they continued to beat him with their fists and feet. He stated that they whipped him with his own belt and burned him with lit cigarettes. He also stated that they were both drinking and that they poured energy beer on him (trying to make him drink it) and urinated on him. At several points, he said that one would take a smoke break while the other beat him and they would trade off. He stated that at several points when he started screaming or making noise the Phillipino male brandished a folding knife toward him and threatened to ‘slit his throat if he kept screaming.’ (He) stated that both suspects alluded to having guns but he did not actually see any. He did state that at one point he thought he heard the sound of the slide being racked on a gun.
(He) stated that throughout the assault both suspects kept saying things like “the white man has kept us down” and “how do you like it white boy” and “this is for enslaving our people.” He slated that several times they threatened to kill him.
He stated that when they finally left they pushed his head into an indent in the ground, kicked him, and then he felt something hard pressed against the back of his head and he was told not to look up or they would ‘cap’ him in the head. After he knew they were gone he made his way down to the street and was spotted by a passerby.
(redacted) injuries were photographed, I gathered contact info, and SFD had him transported to HMC in short order. At the time of the initial interview he was unable to provide a more detailed description of his two attackers.
I was able to locate the scene of the assault (at the dead end of the 7700 blk of 14 AV SW) where I located blood smears on the guard rails and a fresh cigarette butt which I collected for DNA analysis. On the stairs directly to the northeast (leading from SW Holden St) of the dead-end I located more fresh cigarette butts, several coins (untarnished), and an empty can of “FOUR loko” energy beer (fresh). The entire location and all located items were photographed.
As I was returning to the precinct to begin paperwork on the Assault, I observed a black male and an (apparently) Phillipino male in their early 20’s walking together eastbound in the 1600 blk of SW Holden St. The black male had what appeared to be an open beer can in his coat pocket and he was attempting to conceal it as he passed by me. I circled around the block and contacted the two individuals sitting on a bench behind the bus stop on the south side of SW Holden St and 16 AV SW. The black male’s beer was unopened but the Phillipino male had an open can of the same beer and attempted to conceal it under the bench as I approached. I immediately noticed that the energy beer that both suspects possessed was the same brand, size and flavor as the empty can I located at the scene of the assault. I asked them for identification and they each provided picture ID. The black male was identified as (name redacted) (DOB [redacted] 87) and the Phillipino male was identified as (name redacted) (DOB [redacted] 89). As I spoke with them I observed that (redacted) had dried blood on the side of his face and on closer inspection I also loated dried blood on both sides of his hands, and the front of his shirt. I inspected (redacted) hands and located dried blood on his right palm. Both suspects were frisked for weapons. I asked if they smoked and they both said yes. (Redacted) pulled out a half-empty pack of Marlboro Reds (the same brand as the cigarette butts at the scene). I asked to look at them and he handed them to me. I observed a half-smoked cigarette in the pack and collected it for DNA comparison. I screened the event with (acting sergeant) and it was decided that due to the lack of a full physical description at the time we would get good contact info for the two and release them. Before releasing them I swabbed the dried blood on both of their hands for DNA comparison.
After releasing the two suspects I returned to the original scene and collected a swab of the blood from the guard rail for DNA comparison.
(Another officer) contacted (redacted) at HMC and obtained a written statement, a signed medical release waiver and collected his clothes for evidence.
I returned to the precinct and officer (name) and I packaged all items for evidence. I completed the GO report and all involved officers completed an officer statement. Lt. Levandowski was notified of the incident as per instruction due to the Malicious Harassment situation.
2 rolls of 35mm film and 2 digital SD cards were submitted to the SPD photo lab for processing. and all other evidence was submitted to the evidence unit by hand.
(redacted) mother (redacted) was contacted and informed of the situation by SFD and met her son at HMC. Upon leaving the hospital (redacted) was planning to stay at his father’s house (redacted).
That’s the end of the narrative. After reading the report, we talked with Det. Mark Jamieson at the SPD media unit. He says that so far today, there is no additional information, and no word of arrests – it remains “an active and ongoing investigation.”
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