West Seattle, Washington
12 Thursday
11:27 PM: After a vehicle went into a yard in the 10200 block of 31st SW in Arbor Heights, police tried to get the driver to come out. He was reported to have a gun and a dog, and was not responding to commands to come out. So after trying for a while, including loudspeaker calls, police have called in negotiators and SWAT. Thanks to all the neighbors who’ve texted tips and photos (206-293-6302 any time); one neighbor describes the vehicle as a “white Chrysler 300”). We’re not clear on the driver’s status; we heard “passed out” at one point. We’re continuing to monitor.
11:44 PM: It does sound as if he’s passed out but showing signs of life. Meantime, they report “the dog is aggressive” but they’ve managed to seize the gun.
12:06 AM: The man is now reported to be out of the car and in custody. SFD medics will be checking him out. (And police have been figuring out how to have the dog cared for.)
ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: This incident is featured on SPD Blotter tonight, with some additional information:
Police arrived around 10:00 p.m. in the 10200 block of 31st Avenue Southwest. They found a white Chrysler 300 sedan had backed into a tree. Inside the vehicle was the driver and a large dog.
When officers initially contacted the driver, he had difficulty staying awake. During this contact, police noticed he had a handgun in his coat pocket. In addition, the Pit bull started becoming aggressive within the vehicle.
Officers attempted to call out the driver from the vehicle, but he did not comply. More resources arrived on the scene to assist with taking the suspect driver into custody.
After SWAT and HNT responded to the location, the firearm and dog were secured first, then the suspect was taken into custody.
The firearm recovered was a loaded handgun with an extended magazine.
Prior to being booked into King County Jail, police obtained a blood warrant for the DUI investigation. The 41-year-old male suspect was arrested for unlawful possession of firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, and driving under the influence.
Not all Halloween decorations are spooky and macabre. Two examples in tonight’s spotlight: Above and below, we found Snoopy and The Great Pumpkin in a Gatewood yard, near 37th/Elmgrove.
And Jerry Simmons sent this photo celebrating the love-it-or-hate-it candy corn (location not provided):
Lots more decorations to show you – with Halloween still 11 nights away. We’re also listing them in our West Seattle Halloween Guide, along with all the local trick-or-treat events, haunted houses, parties, carnivals, etc. – we’ve got a new bunch to add later tonight, and there’s still room if you haven’t sent yours yet – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Among the many options you have this weekend – the Log House Museum welcomes you to a special event Saturday afternoon – in case you haven’t seen this in our calendar, here’s the announcement:
This Saturday we celebrate Fall by celebrating the beaver families that live along Longfellow Creek – the subject of our ongoing exhibit t?awi: Creek of Hope! Stop by the Log House Museum from 12 – 4 for free, family-friendly crafts, complimentary cider, build your own dam, and enjoy an interactive display of a beaver lodge!!
The Log House Museum is at 61st and Stevens in Alki.
5:45 PM: SPD and SFD are responding to a crash reported to be blocking the West Seattle low bridge – as many as five vehicles, according to the initial dispatch. So far it’s not visible on the traffic camera. But steer clear of the low bridge for a while.
5:48 PM: Police say the crash has closed the bridge in both directions.
6:45 PM: At least five vehicles were involved. Live traffic camera shows the bridge has reopened.
3:21 PM: We heard a bit about this in radio exchanges earlier but had not yet verified. Now we’ve heard from the witness who reported it to police:
I witnessed a purse-snatching at the corner of 42nd & College, right by the WS Library. A woman was walking her dog and a man came up, punched her in the face, grabbed her bag and then hopped in a car and sped off. I called it in to 911 and gave them all the details I had, and there were several other witnesses taking care of the victim (she was unhurt, but obviously shaken).
Then about an hour ago, the witness got a call from police who said they arrived at the scene but hadn’t found the victim, so the witness wondered if we could publish something “to let the victim know she should contact the police.” We are asking SPD if they ever heard from the victim – if not, she can call and refer to case 23-304246. As for robber description, the description originally given by dispatch was “unknown-race male, 5’9″-5’10”, all-black clothing, ski mask” and the getaway vehicle was initially described as a “blue sedan.”
3:35 PM: Police arrested a juvenile suspect a short time ago at Westwood Village (photo above, near Chase Bank) and tell us the suspect is potentially linked to this case. They recovered a gun that, according to dispatch, was reported stolen in Federal Way. A second suspect who was with this one got away, apparently in a vehicle.
Meantime, this may not have been the only purse-snatch robbery in Admiral today – we’ve heard mention of at least one other report – more info when we get it.
7:45 PM: We have no additional info from SPD and might not get any before Monday but we’re still trying. Meantime, the victim of the purse-snatch robbery at 42nd/College has told her story in this comment below.
8:29 PM: With the help of archived dispatch audio, we’ve sorted this out: There were two purse-snatch robberies in Admiral this afternoon. In addition to the one reported above, the second one – similar-sounding circumstances – happened around 2:30 pm at 45th/Stevens. The robber in this one also was described as having a covered face, dark clothes, and got away in a “blue sedan.”
More than 150 Chief Sealth International High School students walked off the campus just before noon today in a protest demanding action against sexual harassment and violence.
Staffers joined them in support.
As reported here last night, this was sparked by text messages described as “graphic … group text messages” that “encourage sexual violence.” The students involved were reported to be football players; the principal’s message only alluded to “athletic” involvement
After walking out, students gathered on the Southwest Athletic Complex field across the street. School officials would not allow media crews into the stadium to hear the speeches (which were inaudible from the street because of a TV chopper hovering overhead).
The student who sent word last night about today’s rally said this has been an ongoing situation without much action from school administrators. We asked principal Ray Morales today if anyone had been suspended and he said he could not comment. We asked the district media office the same question, and others, and received only a statement similar to what the principal sent to the school community Thursday; this one was attributed to district chief of staff Bev Redmond:
SPS takes the safety and wellbeing of students very seriously. We respect student voices and listen to our students’ concerns. SPS condemns any form of sexual abuse, assault, and violence, and we are dedicated to providing a nurturing and safe educational environment for all students.
On Wednesday, Oct. 18, concerns were brought to the attention of Chief Sealth International school leaders. The concerns were related to group text messages written by several Chief Sealth students. The content was graphic and extremely inappropriate. Chief Sealth International staff and SPS leaders do not condone this type of communication in any format.
Chief Sealth International school leaders took immediate action, including:
-SPS and Chief Sealth International leadership will continue to evaluate appropriate discipline and corrective action
-Outreach by school social workers and school leaders to offer direct support to each student who was the subject of these messagesThe school’s leadership is actively taking steps to be sure students approach their peers and community members with respect. This includes a plan by athletic leaders to promote gender equity, prevent sexual harassment, and help our students better understand what behaviors are expected of students and student athletes.
The district did not answer our question about whether police had been contacted.
(WSB photo, Alki Elementary demolition site in August)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
ORIGINAL 12:08 PM REPORT: More than two months after the old Alki Elementary was demolished, the rebuild/expansion project remains on hold because of what’s become a court fight. A short hearing in the case was held this morning.
First, the backstory: Seattle Public Schools needed nine zoning exceptions – “departures” – to get approval for its plan to build a bigger, taller school on the site. The city Department of Construction and Inspections granted the nine departures. Four Alki residents appealed the decision. After a subsequent daylong hearing, a city hearing examiner upheld the city decision on all but one departure – the one that would allow the school to be built without off-street parking; current zoning would otherwise require 48 spaces. The examiner’s ruling sent the parking issue back to the city for “further consideration.” The district could have opted to work on that issue with the city but instead decided to file a court challenge to the decision. That challenge is set for a full hearing in January, but the city filed a motion to dismiss it, and that’s what was heard today in an online hearing before King County Superior Court Judge Wyman Yip. We monitored the hearing, which lasted less than 15 minutes.
The case is not a lawsuit per se, but rather, a land-use petition. Lawyer Liza Anderson, representing the city, contends the district’s challenge should be dismissed because the hearing examiner’s ruling was not a final land-use decision – it simply sent the parking issue back to city planners to work with the district, Lawyer Katie Kendall, representing the district, contends the hearing examiner’s ruling is indeed a final decision, because if SPS, for example, found a way to provide parking in or near the project, it could get its permits without further proceedings,
Judge Yip had no questions, and said he’d already read the documents filed by both sides. He told the lawyers – who also included counsel for the residents who filed the appeal, though she did not speak – that he expected to file a written decision on the dismissal motion by Monday. (We’ll be watching the case file.) If he doesn’t grant the motion to dismiss the case, it will proceed toward a hearing set for late January. Alki Elementary, meantime, is holding classes at the former Schmitz Park Elementary, which it was expecting to do for two years even if construction of the new school had started this summer as originally planned.
5:35 PM: Just got word that the judge has already made his decision, and he has dismissed the district’s case, agreeing with the city that the hearing examiner’s ruling granting the appeal of the no-parking decision was not a final land-use decision, so this manner of challenge was not appropriate. Here’s how the ruling ends:
Having reviewed the pleadings, the Examiner’s August 10, 2023 written decision, and the
authority cited by counsel, this Court finds that the Examiner’s decision was not a final
determination under LUPA. The Examiner found that “more attention to parking impacts within this
highly constrained and unique setting is needed” and that the decision is “returned to the
Department” for proceedings consistent with the decision. This was not a denial of the requested
parking departure. It was a remand for more/better information before a more informed decision can
be made.Based on the foregoing, pursuant to Civil Rule (“CR”) 12(b)(1) the Court ORDERS that:
1. Respondent Seattle’s Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED; and
2. Petitioner Seattle School District’s Land Use Petition Act Petition is dismissed.
This does NOT necessarily mean the district has to provide the required parking – it does mean that the city and the district have to work on the issue, as the hearing-examiner ruling ordered. We’ll be seeking comment on Monday.
(Fall colors, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for the rest of today/tonight:
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE GARDEN CENTER: Open 10 am-2 pm for plant shopping, north end of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
STAY ‘N’ PLAY: Free drop-in indoor gym for kids 5 and under and their caregivers, 10-11:30 am at Arbor Heights Community Church (4113 SW 102nd).
SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE CONTINUES: 10 am-6 pm, Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) is open – drop by to see the work displayed by community members in its annual Southwest Artist Showcase.
SCRABBLE CLUB: You’re invited to play 12:30-1:30 pm at Margie’s Café inside the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).
NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: Tasting room/wine bar open 1-6 pm on the north side of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), student-produced wine by the glass or bottle.
VISCON CELLARS: Tasting room/wine bar open – wine by the glass or bottle – 5-9 pm at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
SIDETALKER: Live in-store at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW).
AT KENYON HALL: Monthly songwriter showcase at 6:30 pm (signups at 6 pm) at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW).
SPOOKY SHOW: Nightfall Orphanage, spooky experience at 4544 51st Place SW, 7-10 pm (see our Halloween Guide for full-season schedule). No admission charge, but charity donations requested – food or funds.
SPORTS: One football home game tonight, 7 pm at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, West Seattle HS hosts Nathan Hale. Also at 7 pm, at West Seattle Stadium, Garfield vs. O’Dea.
DANCE NIGHT AT THE SPOT: Fridays are DJ Dance Night at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), 7-10 pm.
CRYSTALS 101: 7:30 pm at Move2Center (3618 SW Alaska), $35.
LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Piston Ready, Trip the Wire, Halcion Halo, “hard rock ‘n’ roll” – 8 pm at The Skylark, $10 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
DJ NIGHT AT REVELRY ROOM: Music 9 pm-1 am on Fridays! (4547 California SW)
Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends will gather November 4th to celebrate the life of Rev. John Van Lierop. Here’s the remembrance they are sharing now:
Rev. John H. Van Lierop passed away on October 4, 2023, peacefully in his sleep at The Kenney. He would have celebrated his 102nd birthday on October 27th.
What was unique about his passing is that his son, John H. Van Lierop, Jr, spent a portion of his own birthday with his Father the day before. He said that his Father was calm and relaxed and so he felt very good after leaving him that day. Then early the next morning, The Kenney night nurse called to inform John, Jr and his sister, Mary Aden Van Lierop, of their Father’s passing. The time spent with his Father the day before was the best possible present that his Father could have given him on his birthday.
Rev. Van Lierop had a long association with The Kenney. In addition to being a resident in the Memory Unit these past 9 years, he was their Chaplain from 1987-2004. Rev. Van Lierop was a retired Presbyterian minister of 42 years, having served 7 churches in three states, including the First Presbyterian Church of Seattle from 1968-1979. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Mary Frances Aden, in 2011. In addition to his two grown children, he leaves behind a brother-in-law and numerous nephews and nieces.
A Celebration of Rev. Van Lierop’s life will be held at The Kenney’s Community Room on Saturday, November 4, at 2:00 pm, 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, October 20th.
WEATHER AND SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Cloudy, cooler. High near 60. Sunrise today is at 7:35 am; sunset, 6:12 pm.
ROAD-WORK ALERT
Delridge repaving in the northbound lanes north of Genesee is expected to continue today and through the weekend – here’s the original announcement.
TRANSIT TODAY
Water Taxi – Regular schedule today – now on fall/winter schedule, still 7 days a week, but no late-night service Fridays/Saturdays.
Metro – Regular schedule today; check advisories here.
Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check alerts for changes, and use Vessel Watch to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – southeastern route across the river:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on Twitter/X shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.
If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if applicable). Thank you!
1:57 PM: For the second time this week, a driver has been carjacked along the West Seattle waterfront. This morning it happened just before 1 am in the 1100 block of Alki SW. Three people, described as Black males in black and white masks, stole a black BMW M5 (with plates that start with CFU) at gunpoint. A stolen Audi that was traveling with them was found a short time later abandoned after a collision on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, just past 99. Not long afterward, police found the victim’s phone tossed aside near Admiral and City View. This comes three days after a woman was carjacked on Harbor Avenue
8:46 PM: In comments below, Jr says they’re the parent of this morning’s victim, and explains what happened.
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