West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 victims show up at hospital after Alki gunfire

We have had a request out to Seattle Police all morning for information on possible gunfire in the Alki area early this morning. It just arrived via SPD Blotter, including word that while no one was reported injured at the scene, two victims showed up at the hospital later:

Gang Unit detectives are investigating after two people were shot in West Seattle early Friday morning.

Witnesses called 911 at 2:15 am when a group of 40 people began fighting near 59 Ave. SW and Alki Ave. SW.

Another caller said that two or three people now had guns and shots were being fired.

Officers arrived shortly after the shots but were unable to locate any victims. One caller found what he believed to be bullet damage to his home, but it was later determined to have been caused by a rock.

Two men drove up Harborview Medical Center at 2:30 am and checked themselves in for gunshot wounds. One suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back, while the other was shot in the arm. Gang Unit detectives spoke with both men and determined they were shot during the fight along Alki. Detectives do not believe this was a random shooting and that the victims may have known their attackers. Detectives continue to investigate and will provide updates when available.

If you have any information in this case please call the violent crime tip line at (206)233-5000.

This is the first case of anyone being injured by gunfire in the Alki area since last April, when gunfire in the same vicinity left one man with a hand injury.

41 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 victims show up at hospital after Alki gunfire"

  • Brian August 19, 2016 (12:55 pm)

    I clearly hear these shots last night, around 2:15 AM, as I was getting ready to turn in for the night. There were two quick bursts of 4-5 shots.

  • JanS August 19, 2016 (1:37 pm)

    and not even the weekend yet…

    a suggestion to them…get out of our back yard, go home and pull this crap in your own backyard at 2am…

  • High Point August 19, 2016 (1:44 pm)

    Or maybe, no matter where you are from, don’t pull this crap at all.

    • Amy August 19, 2016 (2:04 pm)

      Excatly

  • RC August 19, 2016 (2:25 pm)

    My neighborhood for the last 47 years after moving every 2 years (Dad 30 years Army,AirForce myself) and this became home. Sad I feel the need to leave.  But I will, so snark all you feel you need to. 

  • T Rex August 19, 2016 (2:40 pm)

    Gotta love the gangsters, they are consistent every summer aren’t they?

    They visit our neighborhood, trash our beach, drink too much and then shoot each other.

     But I’m sure they are all  “good boys.” 

    • ChannelingLewisBlack August 19, 2016 (9:14 pm)

      They’re just misunderstood and have had a bad childhood.

  • K August 19, 2016 (2:46 pm)

    The police seem to leave the general area or maybe they are too concentrated on Alki Ave when the sun goes down. Everyone who lives down on Beach Drive knows this is when we hear the tire screeches of the drag racers from the Point on down to at least Jacobsen. This Summer has been really thuggish, with a lot of wannabes blasting up and down Beach Drive calling each other out and getting into skirmishes all in the name of trying to act hard. None of them live here and too many have too few regard for those who reside here.

    I guarantee if Seattle police put a car at the bottom of Admiral and 60th and another one on Beach Drive and Jacobsen, the nonsense would lessen considerably.  Could some of the motorcycle patrol be used in cooperation with some squad cars at night to at least give out tickets and give us a sense of presence in the neighborhood?

    Seattle police, please clean this up before one of these idiots kills someone or themselves with their car or heaven forbid, a gun. We would be extremely grateful. Thank you in advance. 

  • Sunuva August 19, 2016 (3:07 pm)

    I felt like this was a re-run.. didn’t I just read this story a few months ago? Oh, yeah.. https://westseattleblog.com/2016/04/shooting-reported-on-alki/

    • WSB August 19, 2016 (3:19 pm)

      That’s linked and mentioned in my last paragraph above.

  • Howard August 19, 2016 (5:13 pm)

    I have no idea what the cops are doing in West Seattle, all i see everyday is a lack of enforcement and it sends a message, do whatever you want for there is no law.  

    • Andy August 20, 2016 (2:55 am)

      The mayor and the city council were instrumental in sicing the DOJ on the police. Now people whine about the lack of a police presence. 

  • Steve August 19, 2016 (5:35 pm)

    More so the mayor and city council.  When your priorities are ridiculous crap such as the new rental regulations and not public safety, well these idiots will continue to have the run of the town.  Pretty disgusting!

  • SGG August 19, 2016 (7:12 pm)

    The police are not here at night.  They are here during the daytime, Monday through Friday.

    I called the other day to report someone blocking the driveway and they flat out stated that they don’t do parking enforcement on Sundays.  They do seem to have the funds to build the police a new yoga studio in the new north police station.

  • Chris August 19, 2016 (7:13 pm)

    I am so very sick of the increased drug, gang and just plain frickin rudeness of the people hanging out  from Harbor to Alki during the summer months.  They are trespassing on private property, peeing in our yards, playing loud, loud music and blocking driveways.    I’ve been cursed at & ignored when asking for them to refrain from crawling in our fountain, littering on our property, and using our front porch as a lunch spot!   If this were happening in their front yard…there would be hell to pay!   SICK OF IT!  

  • Mike August 19, 2016 (7:40 pm)

    The SW Precinct has two cruisers dedicated to Alki to The Junction.  That’s it.  For assistance, they’d need to call for more units.  I found this out only because I called to report a guy threatening to kill me and I got to talk to one of the units, that’s when they said to please call if the guy comes back, but it might be a while as there’s only two cruiser units for Alki to The Junction.


    Maybe it’s time our mayor and council did their jobs.  Maybe it’s time people put more pressure on the people running the show to actively do what we pay them a stupid amount of money to not be doing.


    New head of Seattle City Light, Larry Weis, $340,000

    Mayor Murray, $175,000

    Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole, $250,000 

    And the nearly $$ Half Billion $$$ in Seattle school district salaries, 


    http://data.spokesman.com/salaries/schools/2015/92-seattle-public-schools/

    You can all enjoy who’s raking in the big bucks now in our district that can’t seem to make decisions before school years start.


    Rise up people, make your voices heard.  Call these public employees out, hold them accountable.  You want better education for kids and safe neighborhoods, make them do their jobs.

    • ScubaFrog August 19, 2016 (9:14 pm)

      I’m sorry you had to endure that Mike, life on Alki and in many parts of Seattle has become an absurdity.  Those salaries you posted are disgusting.  The highest-paid city of Seattle worker (Larry Weis, you posted him), was under workplace investigation when he was hired – Murray paid $50,000 to vet him and other candidates for the job.

    • Andy August 20, 2016 (3:12 am)

      Police work is a dirty job. Dealing with the thugs has been made more difficult since the City of Seattle and the DOJ have come down on the SPD. I wish people had a clue as to just how difficult it really is, especially when the Police have had their hands tied. Well, Seattle got what it wanted when they neutered the police. Now we are paying the price.

  • Steve August 19, 2016 (8:22 pm)

    Well mike you are right but when only thirty percent vote you get the incompetence that is so demonstrated by mayor Eddie and the city council!

  • rob August 19, 2016 (8:51 pm)

     this  is what happens when you elect a congressman to be your mayor he is use to commitys  and focous groups never really having to make any hard chocies  so now we have a guy who seems to just shoot from the hip to fix things . The mayor is also the city manager he she is the boss . the mayor needs to stand tall and protect the tax payers and make sure that we the bill payers slash tax payers are taken care of.  make sure all the things like police fire schools roads are taken care of first then if there are left overs then take one the issues of the non tax payers. . we as people are selfish .  

  • rob August 19, 2016 (8:52 pm)

     i ment not selfish

  • ScubaFrog August 19, 2016 (9:07 pm)

    I’m surprised there haven’t been many more shootings on Alki this year.  I’ve seen tons of fights, motorcycles and cars screaming down the street, daily, blowing right by police cars – or driving right by an officer with their house-shaking bass, with impunity.  Scarce-to-no police presence, and they’re not enforcing many laws anyhow, on Alki  (a West Precinct spokesman told us as much, at the meeting last spring).  They’re understaffed – but they want to build a multimillion (10+ million) dollar police precinct in the north end. 

    I wish the city would invest that money into more police officers, and  not into precincts. 

  • ChannelingLewisBlack August 19, 2016 (9:22 pm)

    I really thought the ward-specific council representatives would give us a voice, but my impression is that Ms Herbold is out trying to solve world peace and hunger with the FCFS landlord ordinance, the taping rights and other idyllic windmill tilting that city leadership seems smitten with.  This is basic – our streets should not be Jungleland at night and a modicum of enforcement would solve this.  Represent US first Ms. Herbold.  The social experiments can wait.  This is NOT A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE to be ignored by SPD.   As the sun goes down, I no longer feel safe walking there.

    Regretfully we may have to resort to private security, or perhaps we ought to increase usage fees and charge for parking – that would drive a lot away!
  • Lauren August 19, 2016 (10:29 pm)

    I live on 58th and I was fast asleep by 11:30pm….2:15am I was completely jolted out of my sleep to the point of sitting up because the shots were so loud I thought they were right outside my window. I immediately heard a group running down my street afterwards, one of them saying “call 911” and the other saying he didn’t have his phone. I waited for sirens and never heard any…. Finally tried to go back to sleep to wake up at 6am. 

    What is the DEAL Seattle PD!!? We don’t need you in the middle of the day… We need you at night, not just to make the “Alki beach is now closed” announcement…. But to stick around for the stupidness that happens after the beach closes..

  • A-Red August 19, 2016 (10:43 pm)

    Based on the salaries listed, it’s hard to believe these bureaucrats can even afford to live in the city. What is a fair salary for these big jobs? Others are making a hell of a lot more shifting boxes over the internet, or selling mocha lattes.

    You really think they’re overpaid for doing an impossible job? Keep in mind, you want more security, more police patrols, but you are probably the ones who vote down any tax increase on the ballot. You think all of the tax revenue should address your own priorities, but there’s a whole world out there that’s not orbiting you.

    I know: government is inefficient and wasteful. At times, so is the company I work for. At times, so am I. At times, so are you, I’d bet. 

    I was woken up by the gunfire last night so I thought I’d catch up on the news. Gave myself a good reminder to NEVER READ THE COMMENTS!!! in the process.

  • Bill August 19, 2016 (11:18 pm)

    For all you people expecting greater police presence and enforcement activity — if you have (had?) been paying attention the last few years you would know that the Seattle Police have been federalized and that they cannot do ANYTHING about the gang-bangers!

    • Seattlite August 20, 2016 (6:56 am)

      Bill === Exactly…DOJ policies.

  • Kimberly D Valadez August 20, 2016 (2:11 am)

    Bill…can you please explain why being federalized equates to not doing their job, to serve and protect? No sarcasm here, just clueless :)

  • Double Dub Resident August 20, 2016 (5:47 am)

       These POS aren’t gangsters. They’re wannabes who have watched too many rap videos and then go around manufacturing drama in hopes to live out their POS fantasies of being “hard” or a “thug”.  Which I find might be more dangerous due to their level of idiocy.

        Bill is right, the police’s hands are tied.  I was talking to my neighbors at this last block party about this issue and they thought I was kind of full of it. A (black- I say this to show this is not just some white police officer perspective that is often assumed) police officer (who from the low serial number on his badge has been on the force for a very long time) then showed up and started talking about this very issue and was speaking about the very same points I brought up.  He said that with the political climate today in Seattle, his hands have essentially been tied.  He talked about how when you patrolled  a neighborhood and you knew the people within that neighborhood you got to know who belonged and who didn’t. He said used to be able to question someone suspicious in his sector as to why they were there. No more.

       I called the cops a few nights ago on an unrelated situation and during the contact, I asked him about the homeless situation in Roxhill Park. They can’t do anything about moving them along, because thanks to our “progressiveness”  the homeless should be able to enjoy the park too.  To be proactive today for a police officer risks losing their job because of the policies set forth from the higher ups.

      I talk with police officers all the time and I hear the same thing time and again. They wish they could do their job but their hands are tied. Then you have the people who try to be so PC they come off as morons. I know a police officer who patrols West Seattle and he told me a few stories. One where a woman called in a burglary suspect and it turned out to be Alan Polevia and when he showed up and got out of his car the person said they had to leave because they did not want to witness police brutality. A victim of strong armed robbery stated when asked for a description, that she didn’t see color.  Anyone who’s taken psychology, sociology, and/or multicultural counseling knows this woman is full of you know what and she would get called out quickly by a teacher if they made that statement in a classroom. I know, I’ve seen it happen first hand in all those classes.

       As for the North Precinct being built. That facility is outdated and cannot support the amount of officers assigned to it. The North Precinct contains about 30-40% of Seattle’s population and it needs a facility to be able to support the population growth. Yes, I’d rather have more police officers, but that facility does need to get built. Unfortunately, there used to be more officers on patrol in the 90’s and early 2000’s than there are now. This is due to the restructuring of the police dept. and officers being re-assigned to “specialty task forces” like ACT, which as Mike pointed out only leaves a couple patrol vehicles for a large area.

      We also don’t need to keep raising taxes to hire more police officers (though if we were to raise taxes, that’s what I would want my money to go to), this city can restructure its resources. The city is wasteful. And as far as salaries, Merrick Bobb, who oversees the DOJ makes $250 an hour, which translates to roughly $2,000 a day, or $10,000 a week, or $40,000 a month, or $480,000 a year.

      Then of course there are his spending habits and when questioned on it, he threatened Seattle that he wouldn’t find them in compliance if they continued to question him. Again, he essentially blackmailed Seattle to shut up or he would find them out of compliance. Here is the article.

     http://mynorthwest.com/30270/exclusive-seattle-police-monitor-blasts-city-for-humiliating-him/

    And Seattle needs to start enforcing these POS down at Alki now, otherwise it is the slippery slope to what Oakland is facing, which is absolutely absurd!! Youtube Oakland Sideshows, or Sideshows assaults on police. 

  • AMD August 20, 2016 (6:20 am)

    For all of you who think SPD doesn’t have enough cops for your neighborhood…  they’re hiring.

    http://www.seattle.gov/policejobs/

  • Double Dub Resident August 20, 2016 (8:55 am)

    @Kimberly,

    Because “reform ” essentially equates to a hands off approach. 

  • Double Dub Resident August 20, 2016 (9:04 am)

    @Kimberly,

    Because “reform ” essentially equates to a hands off approach.

    Kind of like the city’s hands off approach to homelessness.  Go to the very north of airport way to where the city’s facility known as  Charles St. is. It is absolutely disgusting  

  • Double Dub Resident August 20, 2016 (9:18 am)

    Unfortunately AMD,  it’s a thankless job where you may risk your life often dealing with people and issues that everyone else cannot or does not want to deal with and then often being vilified on top of that 

  • wetone August 20, 2016 (10:40 am)

     Driving home last night along Alki around 11:30pm I saw  police shutting the beach down like they used to do in the old days 70’s 80’s 90’s. Now I know why, as they only do this after something bad happens these days.  Mayor Patchwork and his city council members are ruining this city with their far stepping PC and poor spending of tax dollars on their bling projects.  I expect things in this city only to get worse as time goes on. The majority of Seattle city council members are millionaire’s and their actions show in many ways. Until people start voting things will continue as they are…….

  • Guy Olson August 20, 2016 (11:04 am)

    I watched the fight and the shooting from my patio. One of the rounds whizzed past my ear, close enough to hear it. The police are here during the day then they leave at dusk. The parked a mobile precinct van last night on the 2600 block and the beach was so quiet you could here a pin drop. I’m either moving or I’m taking back my block. Between the speeding and shootings its becoming a crummy place to try to enjoy. Thanks for researching and getting the story WSB!

  • Kathryn August 20, 2016 (1:24 pm)

    We had a meeting with the SW precinct and when asking for police motor cycle presence on Beach Dr. to stop the speeding and peeling out were told motor-cycle cops only work from 9-6 and their main focus is to raise $ for the city coffers by handing out tickets. I was shocked as I thought of the police as protectors not revenue generators. 

  • Bradley August 20, 2016 (4:15 pm)

    How many people complaining on here will continue to vote to re-elect our current Seattle City cLoWnCiL? How many will vote for Mayor Murray again? Sadly, many Seattle residents/voters who are so upset with the current mismanagement of this City will re-elect the dolts who are steering us into the rocks, preventing our police from keeping us safe, and spending money on waste instead of necessities.

  • Double Dub Resident August 21, 2016 (8:47 am)

    Bradley,  I hope no one votes for Murray if he chooses to run again. I thought McShane was bad,  but Murray is  terrible.  The homeless issue has just become an explosive mess under his watch for example 

  • Rick August 21, 2016 (10:49 am)

    Been here 47 years and it persistently (or progressively) seems each new mayor makes the previous one seem better by comparison.  I mean,really, how do we accomplish this?

  • K August 21, 2016 (5:16 pm)

    Kathryn, if according to the precinct the motorcycle cops main focus is generating revenue, what better place to do it than around Alki and Admiral for the Summer? It makes no sense from a fiscal and policing perspective not to utilize them here. The crazy thing we don’t even need them all year long. The wannabes abandon our neighborhood once it starts getting cold.  In regards to this matter our city’s “leadership” is screwing up.

    Our current mayor will not survive another term. The problem is, his handlers (big land developers) will just pull another puppet out of their toy box and replace him.  And anyone who actually would want a job with the city leadership will just end up selling their souls to some special interest with deep pockets. Unfortunately, I do not think it is cynical to think this way with what is currently going on this city.  

  • fitz September 5, 2016 (8:40 pm)

    To all my West Seattle brothers and sisters…   this is the track NYC was on in the 70s and 80s.  Scary crime growing…  bums everywhere…   and they kept electing passive-aggressive (without  the aggressive) liberals like Dinkins and Koch.

    I’m not saying there is a good “Rudy G” choice out there today but eventually, all you Bernie and Sawant supporters are going to get tired of gang bangers and street scum taking over the city.  And then you will have to seriously look at someone who will do what Murray..  McGinn…   Nichols…  Schell…  and Rice have looked the other way on.

    In the mean time, I would be fine if the city installed good street cameras all around Alki so it was easier to identify these punks when they do something wrong.

Sorry, comment time is over.