CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Alki alley shooting case ends with plea bargain, 2 1/2 years later

| Crime | West Seattle news

(November 2020 photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)

The longest-running criminal case we’ve been watching is ending with a plea bargain after more than 2 1/2 years. Three days after a man was shot while driving in an Alki alley, a nearby resident, 38-year-old Garrett Heinemann, was charged with first-degree assault and first-degree burglary. Heinemann was arrested shortly after the shooting and has been in jail ever since. This happened in the middle of the day, 12:35 pm on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 29, 2020. The case was a head-scratcher; the victim told police that while he had recently moved to the area, he had never met Heinemann, who was reported to have stepped out into the alley in front of the victim’s car, told him to put his hands up, and opened fire. The victim was hit in both arms, neck, and one shoulder, according to court documents. The defendant had no criminal history and had legally owned the pistol for eight years, with a concealed-weapon permit; he had discarded it into the water at Alki shortly after the shooting, before police caught up with him. We’ve read court documents off and on for the entire 2 1/2 years that this case has taken to resolution and have never seen any mention of Heinemann offering an explanation for why he shot the victim.

Court documents say Heinemann pleaded guilty Wednesday to the two original charges – the burglary count is for barging into another neighbor’s residence after the shooting and trying to pistol-whip him. In the agreement, prosecutors are dismissing the “firearms enhancement” that would have added years to the sentence. They are recommending a 9 1/2-year sentence, toward the low end of the “standard” range; the final decision will be up to King County Superior Court Judge David Whedbee on September 1st.

John July 27, 2023 (2:32 pm)

9 years for shooting and nearly killing an innocent individual in an unprovoked attack? That is an incredibly light sentence, in my opinion. Was the perp. on SSRI’s or anti-anxiety meds? Was he on mushrooms, peyote or meth? What were the mitigating circumstances here?

Jeff July 27, 2023 (3:39 pm)

I had a similar reaction on the length, but if I really think about it I’m not sure why. A decade is a really long time for almost anything. If he’s not less dangerous in ten years… Would 20 make a difference? Unless the end game is to just keep people in prison until they are too old and infirm to commit crimes, what does the extra time do? At the same time, if there is little to no effort at rehabilitation then the long sentence does at least keep the problems away from the rest of us for longer.
- Rehabsnotforall July 28, 2023 (7:39 am)
  
  This guy isn’t a criminal, it was an isolated incident, he has been a productive citizen prior and he doesn’t need “rehabilitation”. If the Prosecutor could have won this case, a plea bargain probably wouldn’t have been an option.
Derek July 27, 2023 (4:02 pm)

Everyone here wants everyone to live in cages like animals for every single crime. It’s never “enough time” to you people.
- Dooh July 27, 2023 (4:57 pm)
  
  So Derek, let me ask you this. What if this was a family member of yours. Would this be enough for you. The person did the crime, but you are unhappy about putting them behind bars. Do you have a good idea what to do with them, since it could have been a family member.
  - KBear July 27, 2023 (6:45 pm)
    
    Dooh, let me ask you this. Do you understand that incarceration is really expensive? I’m not suggesting this guy shouldn’t go to prison, but often the “lock ’em up and throw away the key” crowd are often the very same people that think their taxes are too high and definitely don’t want their taxes to subsidize anyone else’s “poor choices”, whether that’s a choice to commit crime or a “choice” to be poor. This guy needs to go to prison, for sure. But make sure you save some room for the actual “worst of the worst”.
    - AC July 27, 2023 (7:37 pm)
      
      Yeah, I’d pay for that. How do you value the cost of violent crime? I’d pay a whole lot not to find out. Not sure I believe much in the concept of rehabilitation for individual so broken as to fire at, or even threaten the life of, strangers. If they value other human lives so little, I’m not sure they’re compatible with a peaceful society. And that applies to just about anyone brandishing a gun. “Shop lifters” (robbers) with guns? That’s threatening someone’s life. Drive by shootings? That’s threatening someone’s life.Yeah, I’d pay for that.
    - 937 July 28, 2023 (8:50 am)
      
      Hey KBear – I am pro incarceration (for full disclosure) But I think the “taxes are too damn high” argument is a non starter. If I had to pick and choose where my taxes went, prison would certainly rank MUCH higher than the hundreds of millions (if not billions) we are spending on the soley created government issue of the “unhoused”. Probably the BEST example of a government creating an issue to “solve”. There are FAR more wasteful dollars spent (89 BILLION and counting to Ukraine) I think the whole tax and spend system needs a full, impartial and transparent audit.
      
      Also, I would use the prison tax dollars to reform the system. I do not think keeping prisoners behind bars needs to be as expensive as it is.
- wilber July 27, 2023 (5:31 pm)
  
  Derek. So, you’re angry this guy was jailed. Why.
- flimflam July 27, 2023 (7:03 pm)
  
  Yes Derek, why are people so down on people that shoot innocent folks? Gosh, so mean.🙄
- Rhonda July 27, 2023 (9:10 pm)
  
  If he shot you or a loved one, Derek, you’d want him to hobble out of prison with white hair and a cane.
- Known July 28, 2023 (12:07 am)
  
  Meh. Some people just like to be provocative.
- you people July 28, 2023 (7:55 am)
  
  This is a very immature response, and certainly not “everyone” wants “everyone” to live in cages for every single crime. And what does “you people” mean exactly? Reading comments on various WSB topics, you will find a lot of debate and different viewpoints. I don’t know who you think “you people” are but it’s a pretty broad generalization.

Adam July 27, 2023 (3:30 pm)

I believe we should have the ability to own firearms, but I don’t believe we all should automatically have the right to, there needs to be protections for society and there need to be boxes checked when ppl come asking to buy guns. So I get incensed when I read that the firearms enhancement was dropped. That’s insane to me. I wish I had an explanation for it. Now sure, maybe even without the enhancement he cannot ever again own guns legally, but it still is there as a deterrent and if this isn’t a case for it, then why not?

Sixbuck July 27, 2023 (4:55 pm)

What do you think the penalty should be if a person lies on a federal document in order to obtain a firearm?
bill July 27, 2023 (5:49 pm)

Perhaps an enticement to plead guilty and save the cost of a trial.
- John July 27, 2023 (10:07 pm)
  
  It is called a “bargain”, where an exchange is made. Drop the enhancement, and we’ll plead guilty and be done with this. Otherwise to trial we go, when maybe we’ll plead insanity, possibly get off with even less? Are juries around here considered particularly ruthless, where you can count on a conviction? I don’t know, but maybe not. It’s a dirty deal but sometimes it’s the best deal. I agree it’s not exactly fulfilling, and it’s surely infuriating.
937 July 28, 2023 (8:52 am)

Wow. Good thing the Founders disagreed!

anonyme July 27, 2023 (4:50 pm)

This also goes to show that having a licensed, legally purchased firearm, including a concealed carry permit, means nothing in terms of how that gun will be used. It’s not just illegal guns in the hands of criminals that cause harm. If anything, it’s the other way around. Most mass shootings are carried out by those who legally own guns. I also agree with Adam that it’s insane that the firearm enhancement was dropped; it should be mandatory.

Firearm carrier (trained and w/ permit) July 27, 2023 (5:32 pm)

I’m w/ Adam, not at all happy that the firearm enhancement is not sticking.Should a weapon of any kind be deployed during an illegal act then it should be an automatic charge and carry equal weight as the original charge itself. If someone employs that type of force upon a victim, that same someone should be subject to that same counter force when caught & convicted. Dropping the weapon charge is making the perpetrators’ rights more important than the victims!An eye-for-an-eye!!

Scubafrog July 27, 2023 (6:48 pm)

The US needs to do away with mandatory minimums. 10 years used to be (and may still be) the ‘minimum’ for 2nd degree murder, and this is 1st degree assault. 10 years is plenty of time in prison. I like the Sentencing Project, it wants a 20 year cap on any crime. This country has more inmates than any other nation on earth, horrible racial disparities, with the longest sentences (prison doesn’t work). When people get out of prison in America, people typically reoffend — per the stats. We need a better way: We need to follow developed nations’ models of justice and their low recidivism rates, and whose inmates tend towards productive modes of society post-conviction/prison.

wscommuter July 27, 2023 (9:25 pm)

Your comment reveals that you have no understanding of the Washington Sentence Reform Act, which establishes the punishment ranges for all felony crimes in WA. In WA, there is no such thing as a “mandatory minimum” for Murder 2, or any other such crime. It does not exist and never has. In WA, Assault 1, which is scored as a “serious violent” offense, the punishment range is more or less the same as Murder 2, because Assault 1 mean inflicting “grievous” (life threatening) bodily harm and is treated as a very significant offense. I know nothing about the facts of this case other than what I’ve read here. Perhaps there is a good reason to have allowed this knucklehead to plead to a crime without the mandatory punishment of a firearm enhancement. I don’t know. But in terms of what punishment this guy will get, on 9.5 years, assuming the court follows KCPO’s recommendation, this guy will earn 1/6 off his sentence for good behavior (assuming he behaves), so in actuality, he will serve a little less than 8 years, of which he has apparently already served 2.5 years, so he’ll be out of prison in 5+ years. Just facts.
Plf July 27, 2023 (9:39 pm)

The criminal spends ten to 20 years then released.the victim is still dead not living their life after those same amount of years fair? Just?
- Dudestfu July 28, 2023 (7:29 am)
  
  Plf- the victim didn’t die and I’m sure the defendant’s life has been changed as tragically. Facts.

C July 27, 2023 (7:47 pm)

I am dying laughing at the comments. I mean, 20 year sentence on any crime? Does that include rape, serial murder, rape of a minor..? The jails and prisons are overcrowded with offenses they should not be, totally agree. For-profit prisons DO NOT WORK. But to say that someone who aims a gun and shoots someone else should be walking free after only ten years? Sorry Seattle, when you point and shoot, you had no other plan but to kill. This city’s residents are ridiculous. No wonder it’s a dumpster fire.

TJ July 27, 2023 (8:56 pm)

20 years max for any crime? Serial killer capped at 20 years? Perhaps it’s just time to accept some people are just monsters, and trying to look at data plugged into algorithms to justify love and coddling losers who are a drain on society is a waste of time and resources. And you also ignore victims of terrible crimes and their demand for justice. Revenge and vengeance was a big problem 150 years ago and that is part of the reason long prison sentences in formal courts came about.

Rob July 27, 2023 (9:23 pm)

To put this guy away is tax dollars well spent. I’m willing to to pay if it keeps the good people safe

Youdontknow July 28, 2023 (7:32 am)

Releasing him would keep the good people safe- he’s one of them.

1994 July 27, 2023 (9:31 pm)

Will he be permanently disqualified to legally own a firearm? That would seem an appropriate consequence, take away his ‘right’ to ever legally own a firearm for life.

Jon July 28, 2023 (1:47 am)

For once, I wish anti-gun types would try buying a gun, only to realize that it’s nothing like you’ve been told by the Bloomberg astroturf orgs. Look up “prohibited possessor” and “restoring rights”. And that’s goes both ways — there are many victims of violence who permanently lose their rights because they use marijuana to treat chronic pain and PTSD. That said, only honest people follow rules. Criminals don’t abide by laws and will acquire whatever they need from the black market.

CAM July 28, 2023 (3:24 am)

My word, aren’t we all a bloodthirsty bunch today. The defendant in this case had no prior criminal history before this event. The description of his behavior was bizarre and, while potentially the result of many things, appeared to be an anomaly. There is no sentence for a crime that will ever 1) bring a person back to life or 2) make the crime disappear. The point of a sentence is not to be “fair” in terms of being equivalent to the loss experienced by any victim. This was a very serious event and a 9+ year sentence is a very serious sentence. And lastly, just because you think that if you were the victim of a crime that you would want “vengeance” does not mean that you know how everyone else on the earth feels or that you get to tell them how they should feel.

Oh, and anyone convicted of a felony loses their right to possess a firearm. That has nothing to do with a firearms enhancement. That enhancement is just about lengthening someone’s sentence.

Connected113 July 28, 2023 (4:45 am)

There’s a reason it’s a head scratcher- this case has many details that the public isn’t aware of. All people that have guns or are involved in a major shooting incident aren’t thugs or criminals. If you knew Garrett you would understand that. He is not a danger to society and if you met him and knew him, you’d agree that sometimes bad things happen to good people. Not saying he deserves to get away scott free or that the victims haven’t suffered tremendously. Just saying, tragic things happen without making sense, but sometimes makes sense in a way that is unknown to other people. There are many humans that love Garrett wholeheartedly and have suffered tremendously through this tragedy both with COVID and a family members suicide. Take a second to realize you may not know all the circumstances before you make harsh judgements about a persons character or what you think is deserved. The community would be better served releasing him and filling that spot with a chronically violent criminal. Not arguing that guns kill and gun safety/violence is a chronic never ending battle. No, owning a gun in the future isn’t likely in the cards for him but that makes sense and doesn’t need to be debated. Also, take mental health seriously.

Skeptic July 28, 2023 (11:44 am)

Sorry, the circumstances don’t matter. Garrett almost killed someone, and if the victim had not survived FOUR gunshot wounds, he would be in jail for murder or manslaughter, not these ridiculous burglary and assault charges. Garrett needs a nice cell to keep him away from the rest of us for longer than ten years.
Dwg July 28, 2023 (12:54 pm)

Do you care to share what any of those details are? You keep saying he should be free, but not why.

AlkiDreamin July 28, 2023 (6:01 am)

This incident happened right behind my place. It was horrible. If I recall from the original coverage, the shooter was the brother of a police officer – maybe SPD? Do others recall this? I’ve wondered why it took so long to resolve.