West Seattle, Washington
31 Thursday
19-year-old Jackson U. Sullivan is in the King County Jail tonight, starting his nine-month sentence for raping a then-16-year-old girl during a party in November 2019. That’s the sentence recommended by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in the plea bargain that resulted in Sullivan pleading guilty two weeks ago, as reported here. The nine-month sentence was ordered by King County Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs-Martin in what we’re told was a crowded courtroom this afternoon, We were unable to go downtown for the hearing, and documents from it are not yet available in online files, but we got confirmation of the sentence tonight from the KCPAO. Sullivan was charged with second-degree rape in April 2020, accused of raping a girl who was incapable of consent, “intoxicated to the point of loss of motor functions … (during) what should have been an enjoyable high-school party.” In the plea bargain, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of third-degree rape, which carries a standard sentence of six months to a year.
Per Seattle Police policy, SPD has gone public with their video from last night’s deadly shootout in White Center. See it here – if you choose to; please note the warning, as you see and hear gunfire in the video, and you see the man who was shot by SWAT officers, before, during, and after the gunfire. We don’t know anything more yet about the man who was killed; he was described only as a 22-year-old man suspected of a Seattle murder that happened “earlier this year.” Officers had gone to the house near 21st/100th to arrest him, and after they announced themselves, police say, he came out of the house holding a gun, and fired at them; they shot back, as seen and heard in the video, and he was declared dead at the scene. Police have also released this photo of the gun with which they say the man was armed, adding that “The gun was reported stolen in King County in June 2021.”
SPD says three officers were involved in the shooting and that they are on paid administrative leave.
ADDED MONDAY: The Seattle Times says the man who was killed was Isaiah Hinds, identified in June as the suspect in a murder at a South Seattle church in March.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged the man arrested earlier this week after a West Seattle burglary/car-theft victim woke up to see her car, taken a day earlier, back outside her house. We reported on the burglary/theft Tuesday, and the arrest Wednesday. The suspect is 35-year-old Samuel M. Robinson, who remains in jail today, bail set at $25,000. It’s his sixth jail booking in a little over two months, first time a judge has set bail.
First, the new charge: Robinson is charged with residential burglary for this week’s West Seattle incident. This is the third felony charge filed against him this month; on July 8th, he was charged with auto theft for stealing a pickup truck from the 7900 block of 1st Avenue South in southeast West Seattle. On July 28th, he was charged with second-degree burglary for a break-in at a Kent business a few days earlier. In the new charge, documents reveal a few more details about the case: Robinson was identified in part because of a black-and-pink BB gun left in the victims’ house; an officer recalled stopping Robinson, who had a similar gun, a few days earlier. Security video helped make the match too.
Robinson, who has a Westwood address, has convictions for assault and robbery more than a decade ago. The $25,000 bail set for him today by King County Superior Court Judge Melinda Young is half the $50,000 that prosecutors requested, but it was the first time a judge set bail this year, according to background information we obtained from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. After his July 4th arrest in West Seattle, they asked for $10,000 bail, but a judge released him on personal recognizance. On July 8th, the KCPAO filed the auto-theft charge. He was arrested again that day by King County Sheriff’s Deputies, again for vehicle theft. After two weeks in jail, he was released again on personal recognizance; that case has yet to be forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office by KCSO for a charging decision.
Three days after he got out of jail that time, he was arrested for the Kent burglary. Prosecutors asked for $5,000 bail, but a judge again released Robinson on personal recognizance, two days after he was booked. The charge in that case was filed the following day. Then two days after his release in that case, Tukwila Police arrested him on July 29th, for investigation of possessing stolen property, Yet again, he was released on personal recognizance, this time after one day in jail – and four days later, the West Seattle burglary happened. (Tukwila Police have not yet referred that case to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for a charging decision.) We don’t have the judges’ names in any but today’s hearing, but will be reading through more case documentation to see if we can find any. Meantime, Robinson will be arraigned later this month on the charge filed today.
If you’re not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 but are eligible – here’s a quick mention of two opportunities we just found out about, today and tomorrow. 4-6 pm today, vaccinations are available as part of the High Point Healthy Families health fair at Neighborhood House (6400 Sylvan Way SW), on the basketball courts. Tomorrow, 1-5 pm, vaccinations are available during the first-ever Low Rider Block Party on 17th SW between Roxbury and Delridge. All are welcome at both events.
The return of Loop the ‘Lupe – four events in one! – is a little over three weeks away. You can choose between Seattle’s only obstacle-course event, the 5K fun run, the Senior Saunter, and/or the Kids’ Dash, all at Walt Hundley Playfield on Sunday, August 29th. The obstacle course features seven obstacles on a distance-certified 1K “loop.”
If you’re not already registered, there are five good reasons to do it today: Registration fees for the obstacle course and 5K are discounted $5 through tonight – then tomorrow the fee goes up. Loop the ‘Lupe, with community co-sponsors including WSB, raises money, explains race director Brian Callanan, for “the social outreach work at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, which operates a safe parking lot for homeless neighbors, coordinates voter registration and racial justice education, holds an annual Day of Service benefitting various organizations in the region, and much more.” It all stretches across the morning and afternoon on August 29th, also including live music, food, drinks, and a beer garden.
To register, go here!
For most Seattle Public Schools students, the first day of school is less than four weeks away. If you have a West Seattle High School student interested in sports, the Athletics Department sends word that signups are already under way. This flyer has details of what’s being offered this fall and what isn’t. It also includes the fall sports’ game/match/meet schedules, if you’re interested in marking your calendar:
For players and families, you can go here to register online. If you have a football player in the family, head coach Jeff Scott sent us this sport-specific announcement:
Team meeting – August 18th at 4 pm at West Seattle high School
First day of Practice – August 19th at 9 am
My registration before first day of practice – www.WestSeattleFootball.com
Question? Contact Coach Scott at 206-696-5333 or email Westseattlefootball@gmail.com
Football will be the first sport to open the fall season, with the first game September 3rd.
Construction of the new Lam Bow Apartments (6935 Delridge Way SW) has finally begun, almost five years after a three-alarm fire gutted one of its buildings. In 2019, the Seattle Housing Authority decided the remaining building should be replaced too. Here’s a rendering of the 82-unit affordable-housing building that will replace the two original buildings.
(The project went through Administrative Design Review – public comment but no meetings; here’s the packet by SMR Architects, if you’re interested in design/layout details.) When the city first put the project out to bid last year, no one bid. So they tried again this year, and Walsh Construction was the winning bidder; SHA spokesperson Kerry Coughlin says the contract is for $32 million and that the building is expected to open by spring 2023.
Thanks to Kersti Muul for the tip. Transient orcas are southbound, south of Blake Island, so visible from west-facing West Seattle. Let us know if you see them!
10:17 AM: Northbound 26th SW is already closed south of Westwood Village because of road work; you’ll want to avoid the southbound side for a while too, as Seattle Fire is there for a gas-leak response.
10:33 AM: Southbound 26th is also closed at Barton. We can’t get close enough to ask questions but a crew is working on it.
2:45 PM: Since this is the construction zone for King County-led road work related to bus routing, we tracked down information from Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer, who tells WSB:
At about 9:45 a.m. Seattle Fire crews arrived in response to a natural gas leak in the construction zone in the northbound lanes of 26th Avenue SW, halfway between SW Barton and SW Cambridge streets. The southbound lanes were closed while Puget Sound Energy and fire crews worked to identify and contain the leak. According to preliminary information, a crew for the contractor was sawcutting concrete panels near the middle of the roadway and cut into a 1-inch-diameter natural gas service line that was just below the depth of the roadway. No injuries were reported. The southbound roadway is estimated to remain closed until 8 p.m. while crews replace the gas line at a proper depth. The southbound roadway will reopen to traffic once work is complete; the northbound roadway remains closed and under construction for the coming months.
7:30 PM: SB 26th is open again.
6:57 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a full response to the 6900 block of 24th SW.
6:59 AM: SFD says the fire was “quickly put under control by responding crews.”
7:17 AM: No injuries reported. The cause is under investigation; the Red Cross is being called to assist the family who lives there.
7:22 AM: Our crew has spoken with firefighters at the scene. They say it was a small fire in the basement, out now. Photos added.
7:10 AM: The Water Taxi had to swap Doc Maynard in for Spirit of Kingston, which had a problem that led to cancellation of the 6:50 am run from West Seattle.
Earlier:
6:07 AM: Good morning, Unsettled forecast for your Friday.
ROAD WORK
Highway 99 Tunnel: Overnight closure tonight for maintenance.
26th SW – Closed northbound between Roxbury and Barton. Project details are here
Delridge project – Awaiting today’s update on the next wave of closures. Here’s the most-recent project note.
West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way: Construction is planned at the intersection again this weekend, 3 am-1 pm both days.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules – except for the South Delridge and 26th rerouting. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations.
For ferries and water taxis, all is normal. Watch @wsferries for updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
501st morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available here for some categories of drivers.)
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed. (1st Ave. South Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.
Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Watch for Edwardo‘s pickup truck:
My 2006 F-350 Super Duty Power Stroke got stolen from 60th Ave SW and SW Stevens St around 9 pm (Thursday). It was previously stolen January 21, 2021, then recovered next day after a (reader) reported it. Please keep a lookout … the front fender flares aren’t missing. Cash reward if you lead to recovery. Plate number (updated) C56492V
Call 911 if you see it.
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