By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

The WSBeat is back from hiatus. These are summaries written from recent incident reports filed by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have NOT already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports; some are not crimes – police deal with many crisis cases – but might at least answer a lingering question such as “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” among other places …

*Officers driving near 30th and SW Hinds on October 28th got a “ping” on their car computer, indicating that a vehicle they had driven past was reported stolen — in this case, from Portland. They spoke with a man in a nearby home who claimed he had bought the car off Craigslist but couldn’t provide proof of ownership. Because he was wanted on a Seattle warrant for residential burglary, he was arrested and booked into King County Jail. The car was impounded.

*The same day, a female driver pulled over on Harbor Avenue to photograph the fall foliage. A man walking along the trail took advantage of the opportunity to approach the car and try to open the locked passenger door several times. She yelled at him and he walked off. The woman reported no injury and said that the suspect seemed “high” on something.

Five more summaries ahead:

*The legal guardian of an elderly man is refusing to follow through on signing Medicaid documents for him. She keeps delaying, telling the nursing home staff that she will “lose money” if she does so. Without the signature, the gentleman can’t be enrolled in hospice for his end of life care. The caseworker at the nursing home asked officers to document the situation, which she has tried for months to address. Adult Protective Services has been notified. His funds for current care ran out at the end of October; unless the situation was resolved, he was on schedule to receive a 30-day notice to vacate the premises.

*A resident of Gatewood Hill called 911 on the 3rd to report sounds of a domestic disturbance in a nearby apartment. Mom was off her medications, had threatened suicide, and left. Dad went over to help (although there was a protection order against him). Officers found three children (ages 4, 5 and 10), three dogs and two hedgehogs amid dirty dishes, mold on the windows, food on the floor, and a refrigerator stocked with only condiments and cheese slices. The bathroom had no vanity or sink, and the floor of the tub (which appeared unused) was covered in broken glass. Because of the protection order, officers were obliged to arrest dad; they were able to make contact with mom, who was later transported to the hospital for a mental evaluation. The children were taken by Child Protective Services. The dogs were taken to the Seattle Animal Shelter. The hedgehogs were left in their cage “with plenty of water and food.”

*On the 28th, officers checked the welfare of a 56-year-old woman living in a van on 19th SW. The van was packed with belongings and garbage; her wheelchair (she has one leg), shopping carts and other personal items were strewn around a nearby parking trip. The woman refused any help from the officer, stating that her daughter visits occasionally to help her tidy up and obtain services. She was told that she needs to clean the area and find a new place to live. The officer notified the Crisis Intervention Team to follow up with the woman.

*An employee of a Morgan Junction business called 911 around 2:30 a.m. on the 8th after a naked woman ran through the lobby, into the bathroom, and locked the door. She did not respond when officers knocked. The manager provided a key, and officers found her standing naked, shaking, with her pupils dilated and clothes piled around. She answered no questions until the officer asked if she was on medication. She then admitted that she had used “meth” and wanted help. She was transported to Harborview.

*Family is flying in from the East Coast to help with their daughter, living locally, who is experiencing a mental health crisis. Having recently completed military service, she is suffering from manic and depressive episodes and had been walking around outside her apartment in the nude. The officer’s report notes that she had not slept for four days, repeatedly broke into song and dance during their conversation, offered up her favorite stuffed animal as a gift. She said she wanted to swim to the bottom of the ocean, but barring that wanted to go to an island on a private jet. She also invited the officers and their families along. Her boyfriend is caring for her until family arrives.

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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.