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.
==============
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 COMMENTS