WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Westwood search after gunfire

| Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | Westwood

11:23 PM: A report of gunfire in Westwood has police searching for up to five suspects. Per scanner, they were most recently reported to have fled behind the 35th/Barton 7-11 southbound and then westbound. A K-9 team is joining the search. The person reported to have fired one shot is described as a young “light-skinned black male” wearing a “sparkly red jacket.” No injuries reported.

11:29 PM: The gunshot reportedly happened near the Southwest Library (35th/Henderson). Also, the Guardian One helicopter is joining the search.

11:35 PM: Per radio communication, this involved someone “chasing (the suspects) with a two-by-four” when one “turned around and shot at” that person.

11:49 PM: The search is scaling down; they’ve exhausted the possibilities and there are other pending calls.

ADDED THURSDAY AFTERNOON: We have obtained the report narrative from SPD. The person who said he was fired at told police that he was chasing the suspects because they had assaulted his girlfriend. He said the two of them are squatting in an empty house in the 9000 block of 35th SW. She was walking in the alley and around the 34th/Barton P-Patch, looking for cigarette butts, when she encountered the suspects. One asked her for cigarettes; she said she had none and was looking for them herself. Then, the boyfriend told police, the suspects called her names, punched her in the face, knocked her down, and kicked her. She screamed for help; her boyfriend went to the house where they were squatting, got a 2 x 4, and chased the suspects after calling 911. That’s when one turned and shot at him, he said, as they were running southbound behind the 35th/Barton 7-11. He said he lost track of them at that point. While he insisted that’s where the shot was fired, police did not find a shell casing nor any other evidence of gunfire. Nearby residents also said they heard the shot. As we reported last night, helicopter and K9 assisted in the subsequent search, but no one was found.

Matt B July 18, 2018 (11:32 pm)

37th and Cambridge near one of the Fauntleroy Park entrances, there’s a cop car sitting, lights flashing…now I hear the helicopter…oh boy.

WSB July 19, 2018 (12:00 am)

When you see “cop car sitting, lights flashing” in a situation like this, that’s what is referred to as “containment” – they station officers at a certain distance from where the incident happened, in all directions, as part of the search.

Caitlin July 18, 2018 (11:34 pm)

Thanks for the info!

ACG July 18, 2018 (11:37 pm)

I’m hearing Guardian One circling right now in AH. Thanks for the info, TR.

Scott July 18, 2018 (11:37 pm)

Its flying over my head right now.

Adam July 18, 2018 (11:41 pm)

Guardian One is flying over our house, has been for a while. Hope they catch these fools soon, it’s quite disconcerting.

Insomnia July 18, 2018 (11:41 pm)

Copter over Arbor Heights for the past 10 mins.

WW Chihuahua July 18, 2018 (11:45 pm)

Thanks wsblog. The chopper has been above our house by the SW library for over 10 minutes.

WSB July 18, 2018 (11:47 pm)

Yeah, we’re about a mile away but it sounds practically right over our roof too.
- Lisa July 18, 2018 (11:51 pm)
  
  Thanks for being on this so quickly as usual

Gyngersnap July 18, 2018 (11:50 pm)

Awfully big fuss for one gunshot. I imagine a person wearing a sparkly red jacket wouldn’t be that hard to find.

Alki resident July 19, 2018 (12:14 am)

So you’re saying had you been shot at, you’d just chalk it up to no big deal, got it. Also, it’s not unusual to change clothing when you’re a criminal .
- Gyngersnap July 19, 2018 (5:12 pm)
  
  Just sayin’. I live a block away from there and hear gunshots all the time. Police don’t respond to gunshot calls unless you have an exact location and some kind of description – let alone send out the helicopters. They may say otherwise but that is my experience. Don’t be so quick to judge – Alki resident.
  - WSB July 19, 2018 (5:48 pm)
    
    If you listen to the scanner for a living (among other tasks) as we do … you know they DO respond to possible-shots-fired calls all the time without specifics. The most important thing to do is call because the more locations they hear, the better the chance is that they can triangulate where it might have happened (if it was indeed gunshots). There are multiple dispatches around the city every single night. Even if they’ve only received one call (and the dispatcher usually will say “multiple calls” or “just one call so far” in dispatching the officer/s). In this case, someone reporting getting shot at by someone just feet/yards away upped it to helicopterworthy, plus G-1 happened to be available (not always the case), but witnessing the (possible) shots is by no means required for a dispatch. If you called in suspected gunshots and were told immediately that they would not be sending anyone, I would be interested in the date/time because a 911 call can be requested by PDR … TR
  - Concerned July 19, 2018 (8:55 pm)
    
    This is BS as I also live about a block away from this incident and I don’t hear gunshots all the time.On a side note, WTF?!! We have 2 people illegally squatting in a house who fully admit it and nothing is done about it. This city has lost its mind
    - Gyngersnap July 19, 2018 (9:53 pm)
      
      You may want to get your hearing checked, Concerned. Perhaps learn to discern between a firecracker and a gunshot? Our whole Night Out block party is going to be about the prevalence of gunshots in the neighborhood. All of my neighbors are concerned about that and parking.
  - Alki resident July 20, 2018 (11:04 am)
    
    Gynersnap, show me where I was judging. Police respond to gunshot calls on a daily. As far as saying there’s constantly shots being fired is not true, but if people call 911 for hearing gunfire, it’s certainly taken seriously.

Hana July 18, 2018 (11:51 pm)

Helicopter seems to have left. Anyone know if the suspect was apprehended?

WSB July 18, 2018 (11:55 pm)

I already updated above. No, nobody’s been found/arrested.

Sam c July 18, 2018 (11:54 pm)

What scanner are you listening to get love updates? I heard what i thought was a gun shot and then sirens minutes later. I turned to my iphone scanner app but they weren’t talking about what was happenin. Chopper left but sirens are still ringing near the 7-11.Thanks for the quick post. Good information and quite discocerting indeed.

WSB July 19, 2018 (12:23 am)

Our scanner is a Uniden Home Patrol II.
Mari Bingham July 19, 2018 (2:57 pm)

You can also listen to it via the web – just search Seattle police scanner and it’s the first result.

Catherine July 18, 2018 (11:57 pm)

No longer hearing helicopter here (near 7-11), but lots of sirens just flew by our house and are remotely audible

WSB July 19, 2018 (12:06 am)

As noted, there were several other pending calls. One in South Park, one on Alki, that I’ve heard … and not all calls go out over the radio; some are sent directly to in-car screens.

M July 19, 2018 (12:14 am)

Heard helicopter at midnight and then again at 12:10. This flew buy closer to WS High school

WSB July 19, 2018 (12:22 am)

Guardian One might have flown past you on its way to its next call, where it’s been a while now, in the Mount Baker area.
- M July 19, 2018 (10:18 am)
  
  Yes…it flew that direction.

Bob July 19, 2018 (12:32 am)

Things like this have been happening in isolated ensadendces and it’s a weird feeling that things and people could be so agrovated to shoot at another human being who is unarmed or not all the way there because of substances. Is this the America we dream about ? No and we all should come together and help eachother instead of wanting to harm. things like this only make fear and problems worse we are the awnsers to our societies problems . One love one heart let’s get together and feel alright…. Bob marley

Swede. July 19, 2018 (8:23 am)

“Per radio communication, this involved someone “chasing (the suspects) with a two-by-four” ” That’s armed and would justify self defense.
Bradley July 20, 2018 (5:30 pm)

Coming after someone with a 2×4 is an armed attack and a 2×4 is a deadly weapon.