Morning report: Harbor Avenue standoff; street and path closed

6:38 AM: Thanks for the text. We just went back to Harbor Avenue to check out a different police-incident report. This is near but unrelated to the earlier call. A man broke into a nearby building and so far is refusing to come out.

7:24 AM: Additional emergency responders are being sent to the scene, per scanner, including SWAT, as well as SFD medics. If you can’t tell from our photo, it’s the former Sea-Way Marine site in the 2400 block of Harbor SW.

7:42 AM: Traffic is being blocked off on Harbor in both directions – north/westbound at Spokane, south/eastbound at California, per the scanner – until this is resolved.

9:26 AM: Not resolved yet. Thanks to the texter who sent the photo above. The suspect has been reported to have wielded various items threateningly, including broken glass and a screwdriver. Police continue trying to talk him into surrendering.

9:56 AM: As discussed in comments, the traffic closure is ALL traffic – bike/pedestrian path as well as both directions of the road.

11:26 AM: No change. Police are still trying to talk the man into surrendering. Since this has dragged on so long, we’re launching a second report shortly.

12:00 PM: We’ve launched afternoon coverage here.

54 Replies to "Morning report: Harbor Avenue standoff; street and path closed"

  • Stephanie August 10, 2018 (7:08 am)

    Still under way, man was seen sitting out of the top window of the building…lots of police around 

    • WSB August 10, 2018 (7:12 am)

      Thank you. We heard the start of this in the 3 am hour before going off watch for a while but at that time there was no hint it was going to be anything long-running – thanks again to the person who texted us about the police sighting about an hour ago. (206-293-6302 any time, text or voice)

  • Concerned Citizen August 10, 2018 (7:18 am)

    Harbor is getting ridiculous. The parking laws aren’t being enforced at all, there’s garbage and human waste all around that stretch from a white SUV that literally hasn’t moved in about three weeks. I walked by a vandalized truck this morning in addition to the standoff from this post. Police need to do something, I know citizens have been reporting these issues for weeks and have been completely ignored, and this is the result.

    • BEL August 10, 2018 (8:46 am)

      I agree.   I walk Harbor ave a couple times a week and it seems to be getting worse in terms  of garbage  and “activity” and this is about 5:30 AM when I am walking.  

      • Concerned Citizen August 10, 2018 (10:11 am)

        Maybe this will finally wake them up to how bad the issue is getting and some action will be taken. I’m highly skeptical of that though…

    • SUZANNE MURRAY August 10, 2018 (10:07 am)

      Until we clean the swamp of our city council and mayor we will have more of the same. They seem to choose which laws to follow and which to ignore like illegal drug camps. 

    • SKF August 10, 2018 (11:00 am)

      My office is on Harbor Ave pretty much right in the middle of where all the RVs & cars are generally parked. It’s incredibly frustrating to have all the garbage and human waste just consistently piled up or strewn all around. We had RVs that had sneakily hooked themselves up to the power in our building & full on fights & screaming matches between people living in their RVs. We had to lock up the bathrooms in our building as they were being used and disrespected. It’s one thing to use the bathroom, be tidy & clean about it – it’s completely another to make a total mess, leave filth & needles & steal all the supplies.  We have had contact with SPD & continue to contact them when there is no movement of the vehicles or if we see something happening – but honestly something more has to be done. 

  • BH August 10, 2018 (7:54 am)

    On the 55, we just stopped and picked up the folks from the water taxi shuttle.  

  • Admiral Neighbor August 10, 2018 (8:00 am)

    I drove by around 7:15 and there were a handful of office items, including a chair, broken on the ground. It appeared as if he had been tossing things out the window? The man was (seemingly) calmly sitting in the north facing 2nd floor window at the time. I was surprised the road wasn’t blocked given how many police cars were there and the proximity of the incident to the road. Hopefully everyone remains safe! 

  • NotOnHolden August 10, 2018 (8:11 am)

    Are they re-routing the water taxi shuttle?  

    • WSB August 10, 2018 (8:21 am)

      Metro has sent an advisory noting “delays on Route 773.”

      • DART Dispatch August 10, 2018 (8:37 am)

        Route 773 is rerouting off Harbor Ave between California Way SW & SW Manning St.

  • Percival Stirling August 10, 2018 (8:27 am)

    yes they are. it wont operate on harbor at all. i was on with my friend driver Chuck Pinto. all traffic blocked on HArbor

  • tim August 10, 2018 (8:35 am)

    As of approximately 8:30am, bike/pedestrian path blocked as well. Police advised me to find another way – said it will probably be awhile. 

  • Abc August 10, 2018 (8:41 am)

    Harbor blocked both sides. Police said it’s a man with a weapon.

    • WSB August 10, 2018 (8:45 am)

      The “weapon” is not a gun or knife but according to radio communication he’s been using various objects in a threatening manner.

  • Jordan August 10, 2018 (9:29 am)

    I live in the condos between the incident and end of Bridge on Harbor and was just walking my dog up and down the path before the girl at the coffee stand told me what was happening. Scary.

  • Eric August 10, 2018 (9:36 am)

    No bikes or pedestrians are allowed to walk on the path at this time either, I was just at Jack Block and was turned around by traffic cops.

  • MJ August 10, 2018 (9:41 am)

    Closing the bike path is a significant issue for bike commuters, and from the posts is not justified (no gun is present).

    • WSB August 10, 2018 (9:54 am)

      Yes, there’s a danger. For one, the guy has or has threatened to throw broken glass and other items out the window. For two, the police may end up using weapons, non-lethal or lethal. If you listen to the radio communication, you will realize they are trying like hell NOT to, but in the meantime, their job includes trying to prevent injury to bystanders as well as everyone directly involved. – TR

  • Percival Stirling August 10, 2018 (9:45 am)

    Harbor Ave Still Blocked at 940am. Some traffic being allowed by turning on Spokane up the hill then back down across a parking lot. 

  • JK August 10, 2018 (9:52 am)

    Anyone know if the bike lane is open going past the scene?

  • Suds August 10, 2018 (9:53 am)

    Was there a little earlier. About 8-10 police cars, a fire and aid unit, two police battlecruisers / urban assault vehicles, a tactical trailer and many police unmarked Suburbans/Expeditions. Lot’s of police standing around. About 1/4 in tactical gear. All this for a screwdriver wielded menacingly? I’m sensing a bit of overkill, maybe? The mope was hanging out the *open* window, just checking out what was going on. I’m not saying go in there and shoot him, but for petesakes, gas him, flashbang the heck out of him, go in and drag his loser hide out of there.

    • flimflam August 10, 2018 (10:03 am)

      agreed.

    • Alki resident August 10, 2018 (11:21 am)

      Finally a sensible post, my god.

      • Alki is my home August 10, 2018 (11:43 am)

        is this a white man? Very typical of them to be patient and do what they can to get him down. If he was black, he’d be dead already. Just sayin…..GO IN AND GET HIM FOR PETE SAKES. 

        • WSB August 10, 2018 (11:49 am)

          We’ve covered standoffs/person-in-crisis situations in WS with people of various races in the past few years, all resolved without injury. The guy is reported to have a foot-long shard of glass and a screwdriver. And now asking police to shoot him.

          • Suds August 10, 2018 (2:44 pm)

            Just to be clear, I specifically did not ask for the police to shoot him.

          • Me August 10, 2018 (6:30 pm)

            Except for the guy who killed himself in the house behind C&P a few months ago. 

        • stopyourwhining August 10, 2018 (11:58 am)

          very typical of someone to pull the race card *eye roll*. People that make these kinds of comments are the ones that create more racism. Keep stirrin the pot bud.

          • Judy August 10, 2018 (2:17 pm)

            The pot is already stirred. Mentioning that racism exists is not “playing the race card.” Whatever the “f” that means.

          • Percival Stirling August 10, 2018 (2:37 pm)

            Agreed. I was wondering how long till someone pulled the race card out. Lame.

  • ScubaFrog August 10, 2018 (10:22 am)

    I really hope this ends peacefully.  It’s a difficult situation, authorities want to make sure he doesn’t harm himself, or them.   Hopefully law enforcement are on a tac channel so this guy can’t monitor a potential plan to save him.  There are no bystanders at this point btw, this is all law enforcement.  A less-than-lethal raid would be optimal, flashbang and maybe a round beanbag round.  Officers can come down from above, the subject is likely in a mental health crisis, or on drugs.

  • MJ August 10, 2018 (10:47 am)

    The bike path is on the east side of the street quite a distance away, closing the path is significant impact to bike commuters.

  • smittytheclown August 10, 2018 (10:49 am)

    Sounds like a awful waste of critical resources.  “Don’t tase me bro!”

  • Angela August 10, 2018 (10:54 am)

    Is there an update? Is Harbor still closed?

    • WSB August 10, 2018 (11:25 am)

      Yes, there’s no change. Still closed, guy’s not yet in custody, police are still trying to talk him into surrendering. We were there before the closure and co-publisher Patrick has gone back that way to see if he can get a firsthand view but I haven’t heard back from him yet, am monitoring via the scanner.

  • Grace August 10, 2018 (11:07 am)

    SPD needs to have someone directing traffic on CITY VIEW and SW 30th where they are re-routing traffic. I live down here and it’s very unsafe right now. It’s a one lane road in most places and cars are everywhere trying to get up to ADMIRAL WAY.   They also need to block off the left turn onto City View from Admiral way…because it’s horribly unsafe right now. I know they are busy..but they are going to have injuries up here if they have not already. 

  • SKF August 10, 2018 (11:08 am)

    I’m in my office down the street & still only a few cars from within the “safe” zone are coming up & down the street. I was able to get to my office after coming down California Ave at admiral – the police let me through the blockade when I told them where I was heading because my office is before the 7-11. There are bikers & walkers on the path too and looks like they might be getting past. 

  • SKF August 10, 2018 (11:28 am)

    I’m at my office on Harbor Ave not far from where the standoff is happening. I managed to get here by coming down California Ave from Admiral junction The road is blocked at Marination & the water taxi – but SPD let me pass through because my office is before the 7-11. The only cars appear to be ones moving within the “safe zone”. There are some bikers & walkers on the path – one biker told me had had been let through the standoff area. A few police cars moving through & 1 medic has come & gone. Other than that it’s very quiet. 

  • Local Resident August 10, 2018 (11:29 am)

    Will local traffic be let through?  We live at Harbor Ave SW and Fauntleroy Way SW (before the 7-11) and will need to get home from the water taxi.

    • WSB August 10, 2018 (11:33 am)

      So far we can’t even get close enough to ask a roadblock officer – it’s gridlock in multiple directions. Meantime, since this has dragged on so long, I’m launching a “still happening” report.

    • Chivahn August 10, 2018 (11:50 am)

      I’d be surprised if so. My building isn’t even super close and when I needed to get through to go to work the cop told me that it “wasn’t his problem.”

      • GHO August 10, 2018 (1:58 pm)

        Probably the same officer who answered “none of your business” when asked what was going on, looking for direction on where to reroute. I’m usually an SPD supporter, and one bad apple, etc., but this went on way too long.

      • T August 10, 2018 (5:56 pm)

        There are a lot of bad apples or else they wouldn’t be under a consent decree. 

  • CHIVAHN WILKENS August 10, 2018 (11:36 am)

    I missed this post and tried to go to work at the ActivSpace – cops just off the bridge wouldn’t let met turn right and told me to go around, cop on the other side (which it took me forever to get to cuz I literally only know how to get to work, and that’s it) was a huge jerk too. Spent 45 minutes driving around lost trying to find my way home cuz GPS kept trying to route me back onto Harbor

  • sea9 August 10, 2018 (11:51 am)

    It’s going to go on awhile- he’s crazy and covered in blood from the window he broke and rolling in the glass. SWAT will try every non-lethal tactic available and that could go all day. The standoff on Cap Hill in May took over 13 hrs. 

  • WSB August 10, 2018 (12:02 pm)

    Afternoon coverage is launched here. Our photographer is within view of the scene.
    https://westseattleblog.com/2018/08/harbor-avenue-standoff-closure-continuing-afternoon-report/

  • Angela August 10, 2018 (12:03 pm)

    Sub Pop’s effort to generate revenue and community can take a backseat.  City Council please think about how you truly impact our city. 

  • Kathy August 10, 2018 (12:27 pm)

    Come down, guy. We need to get ready for SPF30. Hope you get the help you need.

  • momof3boys August 10, 2018 (12:48 pm)

    Seriously folks!??  It’s not a police officer’s problem to provide you access to work.  Things happen outside their control,  EVERYTHING they respond to is outside their control.  If the suspect had a bruise at the end of this you wouldn’t be happy, but heaven forbid y’all get inconvenienced trying to get to Alki.  I, for one, support the fact that they are doing everything they can to get this person the help that they need safely and without further injury.

  • Danny S. August 10, 2018 (10:13 pm)

    To start, I was there watching for a bit after my cycle commute to work got cut off.  I can understand closing the street, I can understand a buffer around a guy who is in a dangerous place and frame of mind.I can’t say I understand the 30 police officers inside the buffer, drinking their giant mugs of coffee, having casual conversation and hanging out.  The SWAT team looked busy—everyone else looked like they were enjoying the show/break.I’m not sure everybody was busy on the scene…

    • Thxgoyou August 11, 2018 (11:40 am)

      Astute observations! We could really use a guy like you to organize the task board..

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