Followup: SWAT-arrested drug suspects out of jail

(WSB photo from 8800 block of 24th SW search scene Tuesday afternoon)
Following up on this Tuesday report: The man arrested by SWAT officers inside an Alki restaurant is out of jail tonight, as is his brother, also arrested yesterday. Police would say only that both arrests are related to an investigation that’s been ongoing since March. According to probable-cause documents we obtained from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office after today’s bail hearing for the two suspects, the man arrested while dining at Pegasus Pizza with a child is a 29-year-old man whose address is listed as the 24th SW residence where we photographed SWAT officers about an hour later (photo above). We don’t know the identity of the handcuffed person in our 24th SW photo from Tuesday’s story; the court documents say the 22-year-old brother was arrested at his residence in Magnolia. Both were held for investigation of drug violations.

The documents say that the vehicle and residence search related to the older brother arrested on Alki yielded more than $13,000 cash as well as 100 oxycodone and percocet tablets, plus a loaded gun. Vehicle and residence searches related to the younger brother arrested in Magnolia were reported to have yielded 75 tablets of the same drugs, as well as $1,000 cash, multiple guns, and a bulletproof vest. The King County Jail Register shows that both got out this evening after posting bond – the older suspect’s bail had been set at $25,000, the younger one’s at $20,000. No charges filed yet (which is why we are not identifying them) but we will continue to check on the case.

Eric October 10, 2013 (2:02 am)

Wow, all that man power, planning, and tax payer’s money used to get these POS, only to have them right back out on the streets because of such a low bail amount. Geez, might as well just subpoena them, saying, “OK, here’s your court date for drug violation.” *sarcasm*

Being a cop has to be frustrating.

Mike October 10, 2013 (5:37 am)

Why such a low bail? One had half that in cash on him. Apparently we’re big on show and light on punishment.

CandrewB October 10, 2013 (5:50 am)

Well I hope they learned a valuable lesson.

Chris W October 10, 2013 (5:54 am)

I don’t understand why they had to sweep in and arrest him in middle of a bustling restaurant for these offenses.

anonyme October 10, 2013 (6:32 am)

Why even bother arresting them? That whole SWAT thing must have cost taxpayers a lot of money. As far as I’m concerned, the gun possession alone should ensure prison time with no bail.

sophista-tiki October 10, 2013 (8:24 am)

great,,,,, and now everyone on this block knows exactly what goes on in that house., and they’re out. Like thats supposed to make us all so much safer. The moral of the story from where Im sitting. It pays big time to break all the rules because they dont really mean anything.

Azimuth October 10, 2013 (8:38 am)

Sound like upstanding citizens. Mom must be proud.

Amanda October 10, 2013 (9:30 am)

Tiki – Actually, maybe it now it gives the whole block some major power when calling 911? I agree about the system – but now at least you know that you weren’t wrong in your suspicions about that house.

Cactus October 10, 2013 (9:36 am)

What happened to the little girl that lives with him?

Eric1 October 10, 2013 (10:39 am)

They arrest people in public because they are less likely to be “heavily” armed. If you go to somebody’s house/car they will likely have more weapons at their disposal (hence one gun at Pegasus vs. multiple guns and a bulletproof vest). Scary while you are at Pegasus but most people won’t draw on a cop with a true assault weapon already out and pointed at you. The police learned pretty well from the mistakes of the wanna-be-cops at the ATF.
.
However, while the cops did their job, our court system is asinine.

Huh Whaah October 10, 2013 (11:28 am)

I’m most impressed that they found parking on Alki Ave for The Mystery Machine . No small feat !

Maureen October 10, 2013 (12:08 pm)

The thought that a child is living in a house with drugs and weapons is scary and shameful. Bail should have been set to an unattainable amount.

Genessee neighbor October 10, 2013 (1:36 pm)

Will look for more information and names of the drug dealers. They need to be taken off the streets and punished for ruining people’s lives hustling those addictive drugs – NOW!

WTF October 10, 2013 (1:59 pm)

Why can’t you people EVER just look at it as a great job; glad they’re off the streets; cops did it textbook; glad the system is working?! Something. Something besides the constant taxpayer, money wasted BS? None of us know to what extent the criminal history is. What other crimes. Who they’ve hurt. SPD is damned if they do. Damned if they don’t. Can’t you just stop damning them for doing their jobs?!!

sophista-tiki October 10, 2013 (2:34 pm)

@WTF BECAUSE,,,, its a fine line between this and a police state. Plus if they’re out in less than 24 hours, seems like were back to square 1 doesnt it, only NOW everybody else is colateraly freaked out. Must be nice to live in your stress free Polly-anna world.

wetone October 10, 2013 (4:06 pm)

Would like to know how much time and what kind of resources were spent for this bust…. you wonder why the city has money issues. To me it has more to do with the people their selling the drugs to, as they our the ones that are breaking into or stealing things to pay for their habit and that should be looked at when bail is set. That impacts everyone and as I have said before our Seattle court system is very bad and getting worse by the day. This city is a great place for people like this to do business and they know it.

dice October 10, 2013 (5:09 pm)

From my understanding, these arrests are related to the silk road seizure last week.

WSB October 10, 2013 (5:36 pm)

Dice, nothing about that in these documents and no charges filed yet, but we will watch the case daily – TR

Sunset October 10, 2013 (8:02 pm)

WTF Get a life!! There NOT OFF THE STREETS there back on them and most likely selling there drugs and i’m sure they don’t care if young kids buy them. Yes the system sucks and tax payers money went down the toilet as they will have to go rearrest them because they wont show up for court.

benjamin October 10, 2013 (10:44 pm)

This is what happens when you have a black market for drugs. leagalize drugs, you end the black market. as long as there is a buyer there WILL be a seller.

WS October 10, 2013 (10:50 pm)

What drugs? Am I missing something? That’s less than a one month prescription of a legal medicine. Shouldn’t we maybe wait for a jury.

WTF October 11, 2013 (6:38 am)

@sunset – apparently you didn’t “get it” nor understand what I was talking about.

Nick October 11, 2013 (8:17 am)

Such a waste of resources. Police could be focusing on real crime but drugs are where the money is at for both police and criminals

Bob Dewey October 11, 2013 (10:47 am)

Do people realize the swat team gets paid the same if they are doing that raid or sitting in their office cleaning guns or training. The city has a day shift and night shift swat team. It doesn’t cost the city any more money to use them or not use them. But it is way safer to use them so why would you not use them?

Joe October 11, 2013 (6:52 pm)

There are drug dealing houses all over that area near Barton. I lived for 5 years on 31st SW near Barton and some young guys with their rap music, Cadillacs, and sagging pants moved in to a rental house just down the street. Cars coming by at all hours of the day and night, nobody ever goes to work or school, always smoking pot out of bongs while sitting on the front porch, etc. The troubled next-door neighbor (40+ year-old living with his aging parents) was always buying his dope from that house and I lost track of all the loud disturbances coming from there.

Bradley October 11, 2013 (6:58 pm)

Just because they posted bail doesn’t mean these dangerous clowns are anywhere near out of trouble. They are now facing federal drug trafficking and weapons charges and will probably serve hard time in federal prison (which has no parole system). They can either jump bail and get even bigger charges later or show up on their court date and serve their inevitable sentences. This is still good news and makes our neighborhood a lot cleaner.

Buck October 11, 2013 (11:07 pm)

Oh Yeah Right, and maybe they will crank up their crime resume and include murder. Bad actors like these fools need to be removed from society. For good.

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