UPDATE: Police pursuit from Beacon Hill to North Delridge ends with crash, arrest

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

3:35 PM: A police pursuit that started outside West Seattle just ended with a crash and arrest in North Delridge. We don’t have details on the original incident yet but the car is described as stolen and police quickly arrested the person who ran from it after the crash near 26th/Alaska. If you’re seeing the Guardian One helicopter, they were arriving to assist just as the suspect headed into West Seattle.

4:13 PM: We got to the scene just as the car, a Kia Soul (as a commenter noted), was about to be towed off to the SPD evidence-processing facility. Still awaiting further details on the original incident, but robbery detectives are among those reported to be interested.

4:38 PM: According to archived police-radio audio, the car first came to officers’ attention on Beacon Hill as a stolen vehicle associated with an armed-robbery suspect, and they followed/pursued it as the driver continued this way and got off the bridge at the Delridge exit. A neighbor just texted this photo of the arrest:

The audio (and a commenter) clarifies that while the arrest was at 26th SW/SW Alaska, the crash was at 26th/Oregon.

ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: The police summary has a bit more information:

Officers located a stolen Kia Sol believed to have been involved in an armed robbery and a carjacking the day before. A pursuit was authorized by a patrol supervisor. The suspect vehicle fled, and officers pursued it into West Seattle. The vehicle struck a curb and became disabled, at which time the driver fled on foot. Officers captured the suspect a short distance away and took him into custody without incident. The vehicle was taken to the [processing room] pending a search warrant and evidence collection. The suspect was booked into [juvenile detention].

Eliza January 30, 2023 (3:41 pm)

My fiance just got home telling me his chaotic drive on the bridge w/ the driver and a police chase.

CARGUY January 30, 2023 (3:48 pm)

Wow, saw this person driving the Green Kia Soul with a broken out rear passenger window southbound on 26th ave going what seemed to be close to 70+ mph….. if it would have been a few minutes later it would have been head on into the school bus… jeeze

Tyler Carlson January 30, 2023 (4:06 pm)

I was on that street! And I had to pull my car over quickly before I would get hit head on, super crazy…
TAH February 1, 2023 (7:15 am)

I saw that Soul last week parked on 35th and Henderson (library side)! I noticed the back window broken and thought it looked suspicious.

D-Ridge January 30, 2023 (3:51 pm)

Any photo? I ask because this a greenway (sorely in need of improvement), it’s lucky no one was hit there riding their bike on this nice day.

WSB January 30, 2023 (3:53 pm)

We are not at the scene yet.
Tyler Carlson January 30, 2023 (4:03 pm)

I almost got hit head on on a side street where only 1 car can pass at a time. He was going 60 MPH plus, Luckily I pulled to the side fast enough but in doing so I damaged my rims. I’m glad they got ‘em.

carolei January 30, 2023 (4:08 pm)

I witnessed this as I was walking my dog on 26th by Delridge Playfield. He crashed the green Kia by the traffic circle at 26th and Oregon and got out of the car and ran south. The 2 police cars pursued and caught him at the corner of 26th and Alaska.

WSB January 30, 2023 (4:48 pm)

Thanks, listening to archived audio now and noted that the arrest was at 26th/Alaska but the crash at 26th/Oregon.
West Seattle Resident January 30, 2023 (5:34 pm)

I also saw the car speeding on 26th Avenue SW. He hit the curb and took off running. He was dressed all in black with a black ski mask.

OneTimeCharley January 30, 2023 (5:20 pm)

Great job SPD. Find ’em, catch ’em, book ’em, try ’em, then lock ’em up if they are found guilty by a jury of their peers. Rinse repeat.

vee January 30, 2023 (5:55 pm)

Good Job SPD

Safe Schools. January 30, 2023 (6:00 pm)

Police came past Louisa Boren in the middle of dismissal, most at an extremely high rate of speed. There was a crossing guard on the far side of the crossing at the critical time. My heart skipped a beat as the police flew by and the young children on the east side thankfully stopped. I don’t understand how high rates of speed in school zones, especially during the height of school dismissal is allowable or in anyone’s best interest. I appreciate our police and that the suspects were apprehended but sincerely question the method.

Melissa January 30, 2023 (7:16 pm)

Particularly when a young woman pedestrian was killed near South Lake Union last Monday night by a police officer speeding to a scene.
- Shadowtripper January 31, 2023 (11:18 am)
  
  If the police are restricted by law to pursuit criminals… shouldn’t that also apply to ambulances and fire trucks. Not sure if I want a fire truck stopping at crosswalks and red lights before arriving at my home that is burning. Nor do I want an emergency vehicle responding to a medical emergency to be impeded by slow traffic, red lights and marching bands.
West Sea Islander January 30, 2023 (8:04 pm)

I agree with you. I work at that school and always cringe when SPD goes flying by. Today was especially tense due to the fact we had just started dismissing our students. Our crossing guard is amazing.
ltfd January 30, 2023 (10:00 pm)

Oh my goodness gracious!
Jay January 31, 2023 (9:42 am)

I almost got run over on California and College by an SPD car with their lights off (both flashing lights and headlights were off) back in 2018. It was absolutely terrifying. They were doing nearly 100 and didn’t even notice me step into the crosswalk, and they were going so fast that I just had time to notice them a block away and jump back. They don’t behave professionally at all. I have a vivid memory of that day.

Yup January 30, 2023 (6:26 pm)

We were in that section of delridge too. We heard the sirens coming for blocks, every body pulled over and was out of the way when they came by. It seemed to us that the school crossing guards saw it coming and held the kids back till they passed. Glad everyone is ok and they got the suspect.

Jim January 30, 2023 (6:41 pm)

Stop the stupid high speed chasing. What the flipping did the driver do for the police to chase them? Was it worth putting the community in danger?

Flo B January 30, 2023 (8:48 pm)

Jim. Work on a law change that requires law enforcement to follow all traffic laws/rules/speed limits at all times. Then everyone will be safe as only the law breakers will be breaking the law.
- OneTimeCharley January 30, 2023 (9:46 pm)
  
  Don’t leave out the lawbreakers never being able to be apprehended part if such an idiotic measure were ever to be adopted. Life is full of risks. The rest of us are not going to be robbed blind, terrorized, and threatened by the lawless just because someone supposes that someone else may get hurt in the process of apprehension. Home schooling may be an option for those who are that guarded against every conceivable possibility of an onerous outcome. Apprehend lawbreakers and remove them from the rest of us as they are literally ripping at the heart of our community. Stop coddling them, excusing them, and being afraid to apprehend them.
- Thomas January 31, 2023 (8:18 am)
  
  Have you seen how many pedestrians were hit by drivers in Seattle? Accidents are up 150% since 2015 over 100 per year.Should we stop driving cars?As a daily walkers I stop way short of the corner before crossing. I can’t tell you how many times drivers fail to yield when trying to cross the street. There’s nothing more scary then hearing a car accelerating towards you.What happened you this young woman was clearly a tradgedy.We can’t stop pursuing criminals.
Tyler Carlson January 30, 2023 (9:37 pm)

Do you really think not allowing high speed chases will work? Suppose you let this guy go he commits another robbery and shoots an innocent person, the police are trained to drive.
- bill January 31, 2023 (10:19 am)
  
  A trained police officer killed Jaahnavi Kandula last week in SLU. A trained police officer hit a college student in front of my eyes 40 years ago, leaving him physically and mentally debilitated. Do tell us about trained police officers.
  - Flo B January 31, 2023 (5:49 pm)
    
    Bill. So you believe police must NEVER chase anybody for ANY reason? You’d feel happy and safe if that happened?
  - Byron James January 31, 2023 (8:55 pm)
    
    Guys named Bill have hit plenty of pedestrians over the years. Are you trying to make a point?
SCOTT January 31, 2023 (10:09 am)

CHASE EVER CRIMINAL DOWN STOP LETTING THE CRIMNALS GO
Shadowtripper January 31, 2023 (11:16 am)

If the police are restricted by law to pursuit criminals… shouldn’t that also apply to ambulances and fire trucks. Not sure if I want a fire truck stopping at crosswalks and red lights before arriving at my home that is burning. Nor do I want an emergency vehicle responding to a medical emergency to be impeded by slow traffic, red lights and marching bands.

Acquired? January 30, 2023 (7:03 pm)

A SPD pursuit?
I wonder if the SPD South Precinct has the same pursuit criteria as here at the Southwest Precinct where SPD supervisors are required to authorize a pursuit.

Little details of this yet, but I wonder how different this incident was from the wilding stolen Kia convoy threatening pedestrians with a pistol that the Southwest Precinct superiors denied their officers the ability to pursue and stop?
Both appear to be serious to this layman.
The Beacon Hill suspect was in a “stolen vehicle associated with an armed-robbery suspect.”
That does not seem to the same level threat as pulling a gun on innocent pedestrians.
What constitutes a helicopter response and Southwest SPD patrol cars careening at high speed through the activated 20 MPH school zone of Louisa Boren?

Normally, as explained by SPD Precinct Lieutenant Chopay in recent community meetings, the precinct has a policy of no pursuing, rather dispatching another SPD in an unmarked car to attempt to pull over the violator before they get across Roxbury, to freedom from SPD and no ‘hand-off’ to the King County Sheriff.
The recent example of gun threats in North Admiral ending up with the two stolen cars successfuly abandoned in Tacoma, no sign of the suspects.

WSB January 30, 2023 (8:09 pm)

There is a lot of conflicting “information” out there about pursuits and policies (some of it seemingly coming from the police themselves). FWIW the radio traffic during this one included a supervisor telling officers to terminate the pursuit if they got close to the school zone. The officers seen driving fast through the school zone were not the ones in pursuit – they were going to back up the officers who were (officers from the South Precinct to the east who had been following/pursuing the suspect westward from Beacon Hill), and whose pursuit went a short distance off the bridge into North Delridge before the suspect’s crash ended it. Whether a pursuit is allowed or not depends on what they have “probable cause” for, in part – in this case the PC was described as armed robbery. How they described PC or lack of it on the day of the gun-pointing, I don’t know. An SPD spokesperson told me hours ago that she was gathering information on what led to today’s pursuit but to date I haven’t received it nor seen it on the blotter, so we may not find out until the suspect has a bail hearing and those documents are available from prosecutors, which would likely be tomorrow assuming he was or will be booked tonight – TR

TJ January 30, 2023 (9:45 pm)

Police pursuit policy has already been restricted due to legislation. Not sure if some of you have seen the news on the results? How about all of you against the police pursuing violent criminals then also pursue mandatory prison sentence legislation of low life’s who take advantage of the policy? How about 5 years automatic for evading the Police? And 5 more for doing it in a stolen car? No sob stories for them. No substance abuse excuses. Everyone makes risk reward decisions. Right now people know running from the police is worth the risk. Can’t be pursued in many instances. Not enough police to investigate. Weak judges that won’t hand out any meaningful sentences.

Seattlite January 31, 2023 (5:15 am)

OUTSTANDING JOB SPD!

CG January 31, 2023 (8:33 am)

This car has been parked at the corner of 34th Ave SW and Barton Ave for a while (several days at least). Yesterday, I watched someone – male, 5’10 or so, slight build, wearing black pants, a black coat, and a balaclava – around the vehicle. I actually stopped the meeting I was in and went to see if this was kosher but by the time I got close to the car he had already worked his way into the car. I was still suspicious but he started the car really quickly and drove away. It looked like he used a key so I dismissed it. In hindsight, if he had already stolen the car and hotwired it, a screwdriver would have started the car.

I know that car January 31, 2023 (8:54 pm)

@CG You just described the owner of the car at its place of residence. You were probably not seeing the thief but rather your neighbor who was the eventual victim of the theft. 😔

Jay January 31, 2023 (9:35 am)

The cops have helicopters. The helicopters can follow cars while the cop cars back off and follow safely from a distance out of sight of the suspect. Car chases through busy areas are so stupid, they frequently end with property damage and people getting hurt of killed. The macho desire for car chases when they aren’t actually necessary is so immature.

WSB January 31, 2023 (11:24 am)

To clarify, local law-enforcement agencies do not have “helicopters.” There is one helicopter for the region (King County Sheriff’s Office’s Guardian One – KCSO has a backup, Guardian Two, but it’s a military style mostly used in search-and-rescue) and it’s more often out of service than in service (this is my anecdotal observation from hearing the many times police have asked dispatch if G1 is available and been told “no”). In yesterday’s case, for example, G1 was on a call in Federal Way when this happened and only got here at the end, by which time officers on the ground had the suspect in custody. – TR
Frog January 31, 2023 (10:25 pm)

I always wonder why they don’t get specialized drones just for this purpose. Send up a drone, have it manually controlled up to the point where it gets in view of the suspect and is instructed which car to follow, and then let AI take over. If the drone has a couple of hours air time, it can follow the suspect at whatever speed until he goes to a convenient place for capture. Make the drone fast enough that it can’t be outrun, and/or have it fly high enough that the suspect might not notice it following.

acquired? January 31, 2023 (11:56 am)

I wonder why we don’t use drones for police pursuits?
The technology is mature was proven in our military’s use of drones.
Drones would be superior to helicopters in cost, performance (stealth while tracking) and safety.
Drones would allow suspects to be acquired with no need to be reacquired (Southwest Precinct SPD speak) as current Southwest Precinct does now.

With such paucity of air support for local law enforcement, another idea would be to broadcast the pursuit to local tv stations that do have access to helicopters and televised pursuits are at the top of the, ‘if it bleeds it leads’ mindset of competitive news broadcasters.
As a former news photojournalist at ABC in Los Angeles for five years, I filmed from news helicopters hundreds of times, occasionally assisting LAPD to locate suspects.

LA also has a robust helicopter squad between the city and the county and sections of the city with nearly constant presence of police helicopters.
They prove highly effective and safer for all in pursuit situations.

Tyler Carlson January 31, 2023 (5:16 pm)

For all of you against police chases in our community, I was actually almost hit by the guy, and I want them to chase them down until all of them are in jail, notice how you can tell the guy was booked into juvenile detention, and is under 18. He will be out within a couple days because are laws are completely messed up regarding kids under 18 breaking laws. It’s sad and it more sad seeing the community having hatred towards our police department who actually caught the guy with no accidents in doing so, get a grip Seattle it’s getting worse!! And you are the only one who can change that!!!

valvashon January 31, 2023 (10:28 pm)

Again, remind me of why the city attorney suing Kia/Hyundai is a bad idea? These models are what are known as an “attractive nuisance” and should be recalled and fitted with immobilizer computers and high security transponder keys.

Varmit January 31, 2023 (11:03 pm)

Great news they caught the suspect.. BAD news he will probably be out by tomorrow stealing your Kia. Obviously these thieves are low level idiots that prowl and joy ride causing lots of damages for owners and police. There needs to be more incentives for jobs and community building. The new generation is lost they don’t have a clue how to make this world work especially with these trying times of post pandemic and political non sense that has rendered laws to just a means of revenue.