WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Wednesday night’s Admiral ‘havoc’

On Thursday, several readers asked about an Admiral incident the night before. We had heard bits and pieces of radio traffic, with a dispatcher at one point describing the suspects as “wreaking havoc,” but were unable to get followup information from Seattle Police until the case number was made available today. So we requested and received the report narrative, with a few redactions, today. The report began with the officer who wrote it being dispatched at 11:16 pm Wednesday to a report of a collision in the 2600 block of 42nd SW. The report picks up from there:

En route, dispatch advised that there were reports of shots fired in the area and that the involved vehicle may have left the scene.

I arrived with other Officers and observed several people clustered around a vehicle stopped in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle, a (redacted), had significant damage to the front end and windshield.

I spoke with the occupants of the vehicle (redacted). They told me the following. They had been at Alki Beach earlier in the evening and prior to the incident they were traveling eastbound on SW Admiral Wy. As they passed the 7-11 at 4312 SW Admiral Wy, they observed 3 vehicles in the parking lot revving their engines before leaving the area traveling westbound on SW Admiral Wy. They slowed down as they passed and they observed the 3 vehicles perform a U-turn behind them. They described these vehicles as a white sedan and 2 gray sedans.

They turned right at the intersection with California Av SW and cut through the parking lot at the Safeway … They emerged southbound on 42 Av SW and proceeded southbound. Another vehicle turned onto 42 Av SW facing northbound. The vehicle revved its engine and honked repeatedly. They stopped their vehicle in the roadway because they did not know what to do. There was an open lane of travel next to them for this other vehicle to pass them. The vehicle then proceeded forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into the victim vehicle. The vehicle then reversed at a high rate of speed. This vehicle was a white sedan.

(Redacted) all exited the victim vehicle and ran, fearing that they would be seriously injured or killed by this vehicle if it rammed them again. The vehicle then moved northbound again at a high rate of speed before driving around their vehicle and leaving the area northbound.

(Redacted) ended up hiding in a nearby yard. (Redacted) ran away southbound toward SW Lander St. As they approached the intersection, 2 gray sedans pulled up and demanded to know if they had seen a black male with dreadlocks.

These vehicles proceeded northbound on 42 Av SW and stopped mid-block in front of the victim vehicle. 6 black males exited the vehicles with bats and golf clubs and proceeded to strike the victim vehicle several times, shattering all the windows and causing significant damage to the body. They removed all of the items inside the victim vehicle and placed them in their own vehicles before leaving the area northbound.

(Victim names redacted) were afraid to confront the suspects stealing their property. They believed that the suspects would assault them with the bats and clubs if they approached. Several residents in the area heard the collision and called 911. They observed the suspects damaging the victim vehicle. They all provided similar narratives of what had happened.

No one was able to provide further descriptions of the vehicles or suspects. The victim vehicle was not drivable. An impound form was completed and Gerber Towing responded to the scene and removed it. Officers conducted a check of the surrounding area but were unable to locate the suspects or their vehicles. (Redacted) No evidence of a shooting was located at the scene or nearby. It is likely that the sound of the collision and the sound of the victim vehicle being damaged were misheard as shots by several callers.

(Victim names redacted) declined to be examined by SFD. They advised that they each had a backpack inside the vehicle that was missing. They all stated their backpacks were black in color and contained personal items including their clothing. They believed that the 2 gray sedans had been chasing the white sedan that struck the victim vehicle.
(Redacted) They were all provided business cards and they declined to provide audio statements. They all left the
area.

Dispatch broadcast an auto recovery at 14 Av S and S Dakota St. (Redacted) This vehicle [a Kia] returned stolen out of Bellevue. The vehicle was described as having significant front end damage. … I responded to that location and observed a black backpack outside of it. I collected this backpack and submitted it to evidence. … There was a report of an assault or robbery at xxxx SW Waite St; in that incident the suspects were described as 6 teenaged males one of whom was black. They may have left the area in a dark-colored sedan. It is unknown at this time if these incidents are related.

11 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Wednesday night's Admiral 'havoc'"

  • Martha August 18, 2023 (7:10 pm)

    I saw the whole thing from my apartment overlooking the scene. It was very chaotic and I was very concerned that someone was going to be seriously hurt. Thank god no guns were involved! Our quiet little neighborhood ain’t so quiet anymore…

    • Rhonda August 18, 2023 (7:54 pm)

      No guns, just violent criminals with deadly clubs and 3000-pound vehicles that could’ve run over and killed several people in mere seconds or beaten them to death.

  • Peter S. August 18, 2023 (8:50 pm)

    That’s.  just.  Crazy.

  • Kris Kringle August 18, 2023 (9:17 pm)

    Has anyone else noticed the West Seattle chaos lately have been teenagers? They seem to be doing the majority if not all of the armed robberies, vehicle thefts, and shootings.  Sad. 

    • wssz August 19, 2023 (12:43 am)

      A friend who works with kids at risk in Pierce County mentioned that young kids are now recruited by gangs to do violent crimes because they usually get far more lenient sentences or even probation. She’s noticed that it’s a recent trend and fast-growing problem. 

  • Wsgal August 18, 2023 (9:59 pm)

    Well this is terrifying. 

  • Dan August 18, 2023 (11:07 pm)

    We live on a peninsula! Time after time the criminal slips away despite our police department having a strong response to serious incidents. They need to respond in a manner that gives them coverage of the roads off the peninsula. Of course they would have to be able to have the authority to pursue and apprehend for that to work….

  • BruceNorris August 18, 2023 (11:38 pm)

    Wow, this was a pretty crazy incident and I’m glad no one was injured. I’ve lived in West Seattle since 2004 and have been fortunate not have experienced this type of activity, especially during the early days when I drank at bars in both Junctions when there was a late night 55 Bus that traveled along California Ave. I’m asleep by 10:00 pm these days.

  • school bus driver August 19, 2023 (7:03 am)

    Absolutely frightening. I wonder why the only description an entire block of potential witnesses could come up with is that one of the people in the speeding cars was Black – or was assumed Black because they had locs. 

  • Just wondering August 19, 2023 (9:13 am)

    No sympathy for anyone who doesn’t want to give a statement about what happened.

    • Renaldo August 22, 2023 (9:45 pm)

      @Just Wondering They didn’t decline to give statements, the police interviewed everyone in the rammed vehicle and the witnesses. Not sure what an audio statement is, other than it may be a recording of their statement, but everyone at the scene cooperated.  Your sympathy isn’t worth much anyway, so no loss there.  @schoolbus driverGo back and reread the report.  All of the witnesses reported that the ones that attacked the car were black, not much ambiguity there.  One of the victims reported that as he ran, someone in one of the other cars verbally asked him if had seen the black guy with dreads.  That’s also pretty clear.  Finally, the last part of the article that referenced another incident, that may or may not be related, witnesses described one of the six suspects as black. Again a pretty clear statement,  so I’m not sure where your thinly veiled accusations of racism belong, but not here.  Sometimes facts are just facts.  

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