By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

This edition of the WSBeat contains summaries written from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?”

*On Wednesday the 9th, officers investigated an altercation between friends in the 6500 block of 44th SW. But it was quickly apparent that the real issue was the living conditions of the 64-year-old homeowner: Feces covered the bathroom floor and the kitchen was littered with dirty dishes. Paper goods piled on top of the stove were deemed a fire hazard. A cat was found in the basement; its litter box was a solid block (from “months of not being changed,” the officer speculated). And the officer saw no food or water available for the cat. Adult services has been requested to visit the man and evaluate his situation, and Animal Control has been requested to check on the cat’s welfare.

*On the 3rd, an officer on the Spokane St. Viaduct clocked a westbound car going 49 mph in the 35 mph zone. He caught up to the car and activated his lights, but the driver sped off at speeds up to 80 mph. She refused to yield and almost rear-ended a car at the intersection of 35th SW and Fauntleroy. The officer stopped the pursuit but later found the car in the 3800 block of Belvidere SW. The registered owner was driving with a suspended license and had multiple speeding tickets. The car was impounded.

Five more summaries ahead:

*Two men (one from Lakewood, the other from Federal Way) were arrested at an Alki bar late Saturday after fighting with other patrons, assaulting the staff, and damaging some outdoor decor. Two of their equally intoxicated female friends also assaulted the staff.

*A 17-year-old Redmond girl was taken to Harborview on the afternoon of the 3rd after she appeared to be suffering a mental breakdown in the 7100 block of Lincoln Park Way SW. Striking out at officers and hostile, she was placed into handcuffs for her own safety. In the middle of a rant she began to throw up and then calmed down and was able to provide contact information for her parents. The girl’s friend, a 15-year-old West Seattle boy, told officers that they had smoked five bowls of marijuana before she began to freak out. The boy’s father arrived and escorted him home.

*(Editor’s note: This offers a little more information on an incident covered here last weekend.) Around 8 p.m. on the 11th, a 12-year-old ran to a friend’s house when she realized she was being followed by a man driving a van near 39th and Webster. Her father, who was picking her up in the area, also saw the van, which he described as older and either white, yellowish or tan. The driver was a white male, aged 30-49.

*Detained for shoplifting at a Westwood Village grocery store, a 37-year-old suspect was arrested on outstanding felony warrants and booked into King County Jail.

*The manager of an Avalon Way eatery told officers that she didn’t feel assaulted by the man who walked into her establishment, ate food off a patron’s plate, and then shoved her as he walked out the door. She was more concerned that he get the mental health care he seemed to need. From the description, officers recognized the suspect and knew that he was wanted on a $50,000 felony warrant for assault. The 27-year-old was located at 35th and Avalon and booked into King County Jail.
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EDITOR’S NOTES: Remember, the CRISIS CLINIC hotline is a resource for those in crisis, including thoughts or acts of self-harm, or trying to find help for someone in crisis: 206.461.3222 … Previous WSBeat roundups are archived here. We also publish crime reports when we get tips or otherwise hear about noteworthy incidents – they don’t all turn up on the scanner, so please don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening = calling or texting 206-293-6302 is the best way.