West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Alki shooting verdict

More than a year after a beating and shooting outside an Alki restaurant/bar, a King County Superior Court jury has delivered its verdict for the man charged in connection with it. The trial of 28-year-old Michael Helmer of Kent ended one week ago today with jurors declaring him guilty of four counts of second-degree assault. The incident in August 2012 rocked the community enough that the establishment outside which it happened, Bamboo Bar and Grill, hosted a neighborhood meeting and promised changes. (This summer was much quieter at the beach, as discussed with police at last month’s Alki Community Council meeting.)

Prosecutors said Helmer was one of two men who attacked another man outside Bamboo (the other apparently has never been found); another man tried to help the first victim, who was on the ground and being kicked, and was shot by Helmer, with the bullet traveling through his arm and lodging near his heart, where it couldn’t be removed.

A witness followed Helmer and called 911 with updates until police arrived, at which time he pointed out Helmer, and officers made the arrest, subsequently finding the 9-millimeter gun wrapped in a jersey. He’s been in jail ever since – so those 14 months will likely be counted toward whatever he gets when he is sentenced November 8th. Prosecutors are recommending 6 years and seven months – the combination of 43 months (four concurrent terms) followed by 36 months for use of a deadly weapon.

P.S. – Thanks to the WSB reader who asked tonight about this case, which we had not checked on lately; the information above comes from court documents we downloaded while researching her inquiry.

9 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Alki shooting verdict"

  • ScubaFrog October 24, 2013 (12:51 am)

    6 years for what was essentially attempted murder (but charged/convicted with 2nd degree assault!?). Does anyone else see the problem with the lax sentencing and charging practices in our city, and state? It would appear that the city attorney, the judges, and the King County Prosecutor are impotent, inept failures. This isn’t justice. A known, repeat sex offender was just arrested here in West Seattle – having served about a year in prison for molesting two boys. These are but 2 examples of the remarkably slack charging and sentencing policies – and they need to be revised to reflect much harsher penalties for violent crime, immediately.

  • joel October 24, 2013 (7:31 am)

    what’s the point of concurrent sentences?….it’s like there is a commit one crime, get another crime free system.

    once you have committed one crime why not go out and commit 5 more that have equal or less jail time?

  • Skeptic October 24, 2013 (9:38 am)

    I’m with Frog. The system is FUBAR if i can gun down a guy on a city street and “only” get six years. Are all six years even mandatory? That is not justice for the guy walking around with a 9mm slug next to his heart for the rest of his life.

  • DTK October 24, 2013 (9:41 am)

    Yeah! Let’s bring back public executions, quartering and my favorite… the Iron Maiden.

  • Anon-0-mouse October 24, 2013 (10:28 am)

    Duuuuuuuude! I love Iron Maiden!!!!

  • cr October 24, 2013 (10:34 am)

    DTK,

    I actually like those suggestions.

  • ltfd October 24, 2013 (2:43 pm)

    If someone committing a crime points a gun, aims true, pulls the trigger, and puts a bullet into another human being, that should be attempted murder- period. Why do we give violent criminals a “prize” of a lesser sentence when they get “lucky” and their attempt to kill doesn’t work?

    I just don’t get it.

  • carole October 24, 2013 (3:15 pm)

    There is no good time reduction on the 36 month gun ehnacement. Judges and prosecutors are constrained by the sentencing guidelines, which are under the control of the legislature.

  • Ace20604 October 24, 2013 (11:22 pm)

    The prosecutors go for the charges they think they can win. Would be nice to see a bit more fight for though indictments on violent crime.

Sorry, comment time is over.