WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Man arrested after calling 911 about gunfire

Last night just before midnight, police got a call about gunfire in the 8800 block of 9th SW – but the subsequent dialogue with dispatch suggested some concern about a false report. A few hours later, we got a message suggesting gunfire had been verified after all. So we asked Seattle Police for the report narrative, and here’s what they provided:

On July 20 at 11:50 p.m., officers responded to the 8800 block of 9th Avenue Southwest, where a man experiencing a mental health crisis and said that someone had shot into his home, and he fired back from inside his apartment. That man called several times the previous night alleging that people were stalking him and had Molotov cocktails, which was not the case.

As officers arrived, they observed what appeared to be bullet damage to the suspect’s window and a bullet hole across the courtyard in another apartment. Officers convinced the suspect to walk outside unarmed and placed him into custody. They then performed a welfare check in the suspect’s apartment and the apartment with the bullet hole across the courtyard. There were no injuries. A gun was later recovered, and the suspect was booked into King County Jail for the weapons violations.

According to the jail roster, the man who was arrested is being held for investigation of unlawful firearm possession,

5 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Man arrested after calling 911 about gunfire"

  • Seth July 21, 2026 (11:36 am)

    I knew I heard gunfire last night

  • Brandon July 21, 2026 (4:51 pm)

    Story doesnt make much sense. How was it determined there were no molotov cocktails? Sure, the guy on the cops account was having a mental health crisis, and there appears to only be one bullet hole to his apartment, but how does that eliminate the possibility someone actually fired at his place? 

    If police perform a “welfare check”, and they happen to discover a firearm, is that a proper search that will stand up in court? I assume the weapon was in plain view. Did the man give consent for the search? Or is the admission of a weapon discharge enough to search for and seize the weapon?

    • Marina July 21, 2026 (8:01 pm)

      I imagine if the shot was fired from his home to the neighboring apartment, the glass would be located outside the home. If no glass, keep in mind that the entrance hole on the impact side is typically small and smooth, while the exit hole on the opposite side is larger and crater-shaped due to glass fragmentation.  This will help officers determine whether bullets were fired into the home or out of it. The man doesn’t need to give consent for a welfare check (in case there are injured parties inside his home). The narrative doesn’t describe how the gun was recovered. Could’ve been consent, plain view, or a warrant. 

    • dwg July 21, 2026 (9:24 pm)

      Plain view doctrine

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