WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Sawed-off-shotgun suspect back in jail

48-year-old Michael J. Mullen is back in jail. Last June, he was arrested and charged with unlawfully possessing a “heavily altered” shotgun (photo in our coverage) that he was brandishing at people in the alley behind businesses on the west side of the 4700 block of California SW. He was released from jail two days after that arrest, and the case has continued slowly proceeding through the court system. Last Thursday morning, he was arrested for allegedly threatening his roommate at their house west of The Junction. Court documents say the roommate called police after Mullen had threatened to go get his gun, after hours of ranting about people allegedly refusing to provide him with information about a woman he was obsessed with. He’s been in jail since Thursday, charged with misdemeanor domestic-violence harassment, bail set at $50,000. He is scheduled for a mental-health evaluation and competency hearing next week, at his lawyer’s request.

16 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Sawed-off-shotgun suspect back in jail"

  • flimflam October 22, 2019 (5:18 am)

    He was released from jail two days after that arrest”sure, why not?

  • Quora October 22, 2019 (7:29 am)

    Ah yes, the Pete Holmes “catch and release” program hard at work. Don’t worry, I’m fairly certain the next time the cops respond to a call about this guy it will have something to do with discharging that gun. Brilliant criminal justice tactics.

  • S - in West Seattle October 22, 2019 (8:11 am)

    Now here is a prime example of when it is ok to take someone’s gun’s away and they should be on a list. 

  • Patrick October 22, 2019 (9:19 am)

    I agree, any guns found in his possession now should be taken away.   As far as adding his name to ‘a list’, I doubt that will do much as this individual most likely does not obtain weapons through legal means.  He needs to be removed from the community as he clearly poses a danger to others.  Previously, he was threatening to kill people with a sawed off shotgun(illegal by the way), and he serves two days in jail.  What we need is a city, and/or county prosecutor who have backbone and are willing to stand up for society, and put this individual in jail or mental health hospital.  

    • wscommuter October 22, 2019 (10:30 am)

      I realize it may be satisfying to say things like “What we need is a city and/or county prosecutor who has backbone …” but, of course, that’s not the issue here.  First of all, a firearms or assault with a firearm charge is purely a King County Proscutor’s Office matter – not a city matter (state statute violation – not a city ordinance).  Secondly, since I don’t know anything about what the legal issues were with his initial arrest – and I suspect neither do you – I can’t draw any conclusions about the status of his prosecution.   But third, the one thing I DO know is that KCPO doesn’t mess around with gun charges.  If they have a case they can prove, they prosecute it.  If they don’t, then there was something wrong with the case.  Not saying they’re perfect or omnipotent.  Just that ranting about supposedly missing backbones is stupid and ill-informed.      

      • WSB October 22, 2019 (11:27 am)

        As linked above, he was charged in the previous case and it’s still making its way through the system. It’s one of the ongoing cases I’m tracking and as with so many cases, there are update hearings every few weeks (“case setting”) and there’s usually a reason nothing happens at those – in fact, in the gun case, he was due in court for a case-setting hearing the day before the roommate-threatening arrest, and it was postponed because he called his lawyer to say he was home ill. Two weeks before that, the status report was that they were discussing a possible plea bargain (which is how most cases are resolved). In the new case, by the way, $50K bail is a lot higher than you usually see for a misdemeanor case (and THIS case is under the City Attorney’s jurisdiction). Also, a document in the Municipal Court file indicates the city is pursuing an Order to Surrender Weapons. – TR

  • Me October 22, 2019 (9:28 am)

    God help the woman he is obsessed with.  

    • Kravitz October 22, 2019 (11:36 am)

      Exactly what I was thinking. 

  • Lola October 22, 2019 (1:52 pm)

    Found out this summer he lives right behind me about 2 blocks.  My neighbor was telling us about him.  He would sometimes go up and help the guy out with stuff when he was sane. Well this summer since he know’s my friends name he went Crazy out on his deck yelling the friends name and saying he was going to kill him.  Our friend went up to talk to the surrounding neighbors and the ones right next door to him who hear him all the time said they wanted to get a pettition signed by  all the neighbors about him.  Only a handful would sign it.  They just want to make sure stuff is documented in case he does something to them or their property.  They are glad he is jail for the time being since he had been yelling off his deck nightly, sometimes holding his firearms. I hope he gets the help he needs. 

    • Matt P October 22, 2019 (7:08 pm)

      If he was on his deck yelling while brandishing firearms, then they police should have been called each time.  That’s far more effective than a petition.

  • ML October 22, 2019 (3:27 pm)

    I worry about the families with children who live around this guy’s house. I know of 9 families;  Genesee Hill school and Ercolini park are both very close.

  • Brian October 22, 2019 (4:34 pm)

    I wonder if he ever found the other half of that shotgun, though.    

  • Lola October 23, 2019 (8:39 am)

    Matt P, They were called.  But by the time the cops get there he is back inside and everything is calm for awhile.  They tell the people living around him they just can’t go in and take his guns.  The Grandmother used to live there and he is the grandson.  They removed her about a year ago I think because she could no longer care for herself, but left the grandson.  He used to be mellow years ago just played his guitar out on his deck.  Now the neighbors think he is into drugs and is now going crazy.  At least he is in jail for now and will get a mental exam, not sure what they do next?  I feel bad for the neighbors, I have actually never seen him myself. I hope he gets the help he needs. 

  • Scubafrog October 23, 2019 (9:04 am)

    He sounds very dangerous, I hope he’s kept away from society for the woman’s sake (and our sake).  He’ll be out soon, sadly.  I’m certainly no proponent of mass-incarceration, and I think Patty Murray’s private prisons are abhorrent.His preponderance to have guns, and threaten lives with guns at such an august age lead me to believe this behavior is engrained in him.  Can one change life-long behaviors?

  • Jason S October 23, 2019 (2:23 pm)

    Sounds like a poster boy for our red flag laws.  Hopefully the authorities can remove the weapons while his legal and mental issues are being worked.

  • Lola October 23, 2019 (3:20 pm)

    Jason S,Lets hope nobody bails him out in the meantime.  I think his family is at their wits end as to what to do with him so they let him live there.  But there is no supervision as to what he may do or when he is on his drug rampages.  Only the neighbors see it from their houses or when he rants off of his deck.  

Sorry, comment time is over.