CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Police obtain Extreme Risk Protection Order for apartment-shooting suspect

| Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

Another new development today in the case of Aren Oleson, arrested last week after so much gunfire in his West Seattle apartment that officers reported gunsmoke in the air, and neighbors hid in fear. This is what police say they found in the apartment when searching with a warrant after the arrest:

(Seattle Police photo)

As we reported Tuesday, Oleson, 36, is charged with 10 misdemeanors after the investigating detective referred the case to the City Attorney’s Office for that level of potential charging rather than the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for potential felony charges. But, as also reported, investigators were reviewing any other actions that could be taken – and this morning we have word of one such action: An Extreme Risk Protection Order. Seattle Police filed for a temporary ERPO, which can be put into place without notice and be in effect for up to two weeks, until a hearing can be held; a senior county prosecutor also assisted with the filing. From the SPD webpage about ERPOs, here’s the explanation:

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) prevent individuals at high risk of harming themselves or others from accessing firearms by allowing family, household members, and police to obtain a court order when there is demonstrated evidence that the person poses a significant danger.

Family or household members and Law Enforcement Officers may obtain an ERPO when there is evidence that the person poses a significant danger, including danger because of a dangerous mental health crisis or violent behavior. The purpose and intent is to reduce gun deaths and injuries through an order temporarily restricting a person’s access to firearms.

Here’s the main argument made in this case (via a screenshot from the documents):

The ERPO is in effect against Oleson until an online hearing August 19, and is separate from the criminal case (for which he has another hearing today – we’ll add any new information from that here later).

Side note: The documents for the temporary ERPO filing provide information we hadn’t found previously, Oleson’s criminal history: Convictions in Kitsap County for second-degree theft and first-degree stolen-property trafficking. The document says his right to possess guns was restored in 2020; as we reported Tuesday, that’s why he couldn’t be charged with unlawful firearm possession. Under terms of the ERPO, he is required to surrender the guns found in his apartment, at least temporarily; the documents say they are still in SPD evidence storage. Oleson remains in jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

5:41 PM UPDATE: For a second consecutive day, Oleson’s hearing was postponed because he was “medically unavailable,” no elaboration in court documents. His hearing’s been rescheduled for tomorrow.

DRW August 6, 2025 (11:46 am)

Seriously?!

ltfd August 6, 2025 (1:40 pm)

So the two drum magazines shown don’t make for a felony? That makes sense (not).

Adam August 6, 2025 (5:45 pm)

They’re not illegal to possess if you possessed them in WA state prior to being banned. And if you purchased them after or brought them from another state after the ban was enacted, it would be difficult to prove. Same with certain types of banned firearms. This is what drives sales in the weeks leading up to certain bans.

Jay August 6, 2025 (1:41 pm)

He’s going to get these weapons back. He’s not going to lose his gun rights due to misdemeanor charges. When she was running for office, Ann Davidson lied and/or misled the public about the authority of a City Attorney to prosecute these types of crimes. When she promised to prosecute crimes outside of the scope of her authority while she was campaigning, this is the issue that people should have been talking about and pushing back on. It shouldn’t be in the City Attorney’s jurisdiction. Davidson can only file misdemeanor charges. This guy was shooting in the general direction of people. That is first degree assault, a Class A felony. They don’t need more evidence to file this charge, the circumstances of the incident raise his offense to that level. Assault is often misconstrued as acts of violence, but it’s legally the threat of violence or using violent means to put others in danger. I suspect that Ann Davidson is chasing clout here and obstructing real justice that would lose this guy his right to own firearms.

Rats August 6, 2025 (1:52 pm)

I don’t feel we will get a tough on crime approach unless we have Republicans to vote for. For whatever reason, it seems it won’t happen. People say one can’t complain if one doesn’t vote. But historically all we have to vote for is more of the same.
- Oakley34 August 6, 2025 (2:12 pm)
  
  Ann Davison is a Republican.
- Seattlite August 6, 2025 (2:16 pm)
  
  That’s the truth, Rats. A no aka withheld vote is legit when a vote for a candidate that does not meet expectations could do more harm.
- K August 6, 2025 (4:43 pm)
  
  Republican politicians aren’t tough on crime, they are the crime, lol. I know what you really mean is tough on poor people crimes, but it’s still beyond hypocritical to cite the party that chose a 34-times convicted felon as their leader, who spent his first days in office pardoning hundreds of people of violent crimes, as the ones who are going to be tough on crime, lol.
  - Raye August 6, 2025 (8:00 pm)
    
    Thank you, K! I agree 100%.
- Jay August 7, 2025 (9:51 am)
  
  “Tough on crime” is reactionary and performative. You get citizens frothing at the mouth, and politicians will pack the jails with easy convictions of poor, petty nonviolent offenders while actual criminals that take effort and work to lock up are ignored. How did the Reagan/Clinton tough on crime era go? Millions locked up for a dime bag of weed and overcrowded jails satisfied the rabble’s cries for reactionary change, but did that improve anything? Not at all. You elected “tough on crime” Ann Davidson, and in her effort to grab personal wins and justify her position she’s preventing serious criminals from being handled by the proper authorities. Reactionary politics helps nobody but the politicians who are promising you magical solutions. Have a long, hard think about whether Davidson, Harrell, and Saka delivered on their campaign promises, or if they lied to you with simple, easy solutions and advanced their own interests when gaining power.
Byron James August 6, 2025 (11:56 pm)

Jay, can you provide any instances where Ann Davison stated that she could prosecute felony charges in the City of Seattle?
- Jay August 7, 2025 (9:55 am)
  
  That’s a bad faith question. She implied it and talked many times about how she’d handle felony-level crimes without actually making a claim about being able to prosecute felonies. She played on the ignorance of the electorate and whipped reactionaries into a frenzy with simplistic promises to deliver the moon. Machiavelli wrote extensively about this – smart leaders who can make real progress speak with nuance and are perceived as weak and ineffective in a democracy, while incompetent leaders speak confidently in simplistic absolutes that resonate with people. It’s why incompetence always rises to the top.

Oerthehillz August 6, 2025 (1:53 pm)

He definitely should lose his rights to own guns. Looks like he’s gone off the deep end on his Facebook account.

Lauren August 6, 2025 (3:22 pm)

Any word on what happened to his dog??

AMP August 6, 2025 (3:26 pm)

Republicans have been fiercely protective of unrestricted 2nd Amendment rights and adamantly opposed to sensible gun control. That is the party that we have to thank for people having unfettered access to these little toys. Both parties have contributed to this problem.

Eric1 August 6, 2025 (7:01 pm)

Totally laughable but par for playing a round on the Seattle criminal’s golf course. A felon lets off multiple rounds inside an apartment complex and is charged with – 10 misdemeanors. I guess that is better than a slap on the wrist for a noise violation. Serious question: is an extreme protection order worth any more than a regular protection order toilet paper value? My favorite part is The purpose and intent is to reduce gun deaths and injuries through an order temporarily restricting a person’s access to firearms. Really? The guy is a felon who is already barred from possessing firearms. You know, the additional felony he should already be charged with. SMH. I feel so sorry for the neighbors.

WSB August 6, 2025 (7:05 pm)

As noted again in this story, he is NOT barred from possessing firearms, and that’s why he wasn’t charged with unlawful gun possession. His firearms-possession rights were restored in 2020. Here’s a page about the process under which this can happen:
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/pao/courts-jails-legal-system/adult-defendant-resources/after-conviction/restore-firearm-rights
- Eric1 August 6, 2025 (8:11 pm)
  
  My bad. I got kind of got sidetracked by my own stupidity and should have read further. But reading the link made me laugh. I am definitely confused by the “liberal” policy of gun rights restoration I get that it is not available to all felons – put me in the camp of no felon should ever own a gun. I mean people clamor for tighter gun control. And I agree with better checks on who should own firearms, eliminating this loophole allowing felons to have firearms is pretty low hanging fruit.

Dog lover August 6, 2025 (9:43 pm)

Is there any way to find out what happened to his poor traumatized dog? Let’s leave politics out of this, please.

Tracey August 7, 2025 (7:32 am)

Lauren and Dog Lover, I have asked the same question before and it didn’t get any commentary. I guess no one knows?

Thank you August 6, 2025 (11:20 pm)

WSB, thank you for your continued coverage of this incident. It is very much appreciated.

valvashon August 7, 2025 (5:35 am)

The dog is probably sniffing around a fire hydrant right now and has forgotten all about this incident. Can we get back to figuring out ways to charge this guy with a felony or two so he can’t get back any of the “hardware” in the picture, then figure out a way to melt that “hardware” down into playground equipment or bike racks? Serious ask- why would anybody have all that “hardware” if they aren’t going to use it and in this case, use it to spray bullets at the neighbors and the police?

CW August 7, 2025 (7:31 am)

Having worked at King County Superior Court I have seen how fast folks come back to pay their final fees, fines, restitution after serving a sentence in order to get their gun(s) back! Totally obsessed!

BDR August 7, 2025 (10:50 am)

For those concerned about the dog, most likely the dog would have been taken to the Seattle Humane Society.

WSB August 7, 2025 (11:05 am)

I believe SPD usually goes to the Seattle Animal Shelter since it’s city-operated but because a couple people have asked, I’m asking them. They might not be able to comment on a specific case but perhaps they can at least tell me what happens in a situation like this where a pet is taken from a crime scene. For what it’s worth, I believe I heard it described as a poodle. But this is the sort of detail that doesn’t usually get subsequent mention in reports/documents.

Citizen Joe August 7, 2025 (12:22 pm)

This is the hidden endemic in this country: the love and worship of guns. The 2nd Amendment is meant for our defense, but maniacs pervert the meaning of that right. We’ve had so many children die in school shootings since Columbine, and hardly anything has changed. That’s a serious mental illness our elected leaders and some of our fellow citizens have.

Sorry, comment time is over.