(February 8th photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Ever since the police operation at 41st/Edmunds three weeks ago, we’ve been watching for 
charges to be filed against the man arrested that night, 40-year-old James Monroe Flowers, Jr. (At right is a photo of him that we obtained from the state Department of Corrections.) Those charges finally have been filed, and there’s a $100,000 warrant out for his arrest – he was out of jail within 24 hours of the bust. Prosecutors have filed two drug charges and one count of unlawful firearms possession. The first drug charge alleges that he “delivered [crack] cocaine” and the second alleges that he possessed cocaine with intent to manufacture or deliver it. The charging documents list a criminal history going back to 1990 and say he is a member of a known “street gang,” while also revealing more about what led up to the arrest and charges – read on:
According to the probable-cause documents, the investigation goes back to early December, when police received information from someone who said they had “purchased crack cocaine from a drug dealer (they) knew by the name of ‘JF’ … (known to) drive a gray Chevy Monte Carlo.”
The narrative goes on to say that with the aforementioned “confidential witness,” a drug buy was arranged with Flowers in early December “around the area of the Safeway at Jefferson Square … According to the (confidential witness), that is a usual meeting location for the drug deal with Flowers.” The deal for $100 of crack took place in a green 1999 Volvo that Flowers was driving when he arrived at 41st/Edmunds – south of Jefferson Square – police said, quoting the “confidential witness” as saying that Flowers called it “his girl’s car.” Police followed the car to a trailer park in Burien.
Another “controlled buy” involving Flowers and the “confidential witness” was arranged two weeks later, and it followed a similar scenario – he arrived at 41st/Edmunds in the green Volvo, sold $100 in crack, and then after dropping the buyer off, went to a High Point address described in the narrative as the address on Flowers’ driver’s license. Then in early January, the scenario was repeated, with a $200 crack purchase this time.
On February 8th, police planned to arrest Flowers, and had SWAT units on hand, the narrative says, because they had been told “he was armed with at least one handgun at all times” and they “believed (he) would be likely to flee in the vehicle or use force in an attempt to escape.” Their “confidential witness” arranged a buy; Flowers arrived in the green Volvo; SWAT units moved in and conducted “a takedown,” blocking it from the front and rear. There was a complication: The paperwork notes “a citizen pulled directly behind the suspect vehicle before the second SWAT vehicle could block it from the rear”; that citizen’s car was struck by Flowers’ Volvo, police say, when the suspect put his car in reverse and accelerated backward “in an attempt to flee.” (No word of any injuries.)
Flowers and a 48-year-old man in the car “were both called out … and taken into custody.” Searching Flowers, police say they found a .22 caliber revolver in his rear waistband, “loaded with five live rounds,” reported as having been stolen in Seattle 10 years ago. He also had $2,624 in cash.
The Volvo was impounded, and police got a warrant to search it about a day later. They say they found two clear plastic bags of crack inside – one with 22 grams, one with 49 grams (and a digital scale). Three cell phones were found in the car too, including one with the number the “witness” had called to arrange the buys.
We don’t know why it took almost two weeks for charges to be filed (the paperwork we found in online court records tonight is dated last Tuesday), but Flowers isn’t on the jail register tonight and hasn’t been since getting out the day after the February 8th arrest, which means the $100,000 warrant remains active, and he’s at large.
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