West Seattle, Washington
04 Thursday
Thanks for the tips. Police have been investigation multiple reports of someone firing a gun into the air near 24th SW and SW Henderson this afternoon, and radio exchanges indicate the same person might be responsible. We already had an inquiry out to police regarding the first report around 1 pm. Then police were dispatched to the area after 5 pm to investigate the possibility that one man had fired into the air then and in the 4 pm hour. Radio exchanges indicate someone was detained but we might not be able to confirm the status of the case until tomorrow. No injuries were reported.
Police are on Delridge Way north of SW Andover, where they’ve arrested someone they were reportedly after for an “order violation.” Officers asked dispatch to send SFD medics because they used a Taser to take the person into custody. No other info so far.
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Thursday night’s Southwest Precinct Advisory Council spotlighted current public-safety issues for West Seattle – especially looking toward a busy summer season, not only the usual safety concerns on Alki, but also the large amount of visitors expected to come to Seattle from all over the world for the FIFA World Cup soccer matches. SPD leadership from both the West Seattle/South Park precinct and downtown headquarters joined SWPAC community lead Ella McRae and other community reps for the meeting held at Delridge Community Center.
Southwest Precinct commander Captain Krista Bair began the meeting with an update on crime statistics for both the city and the precinct. Year to date, she said there was a 5% crime increase for the city overall compared to last year, though the SW Precinct jurisdiction is down 6%. There were, however, two areas with a specific uptick in activity: both Highland Park and High Point have seen an increase in gunire incidents, with 34 incidents of shots fired year to date in the precinct area. “We believe Highland Park is being used as a shooting range, as it’s got a major greenbelt. High Point, we don’t know what’s going on.” She noted that, regarding gun violence, the precinct is continuing to collaborate with various city administrators, agencies, and other departments within SPD including the Gun Violence Reduction Unit to work on tackling the problem.
She continued with a discussion on the directed patrols that SPD has set up to focus on hot spots such as the (currently closed) shelter and parkin the 35th and Alaska area, Don Armeni Boat Ramp, West Seattle’s two largest high schools, and other areas. While she noted the ongoing success of these programs, with short staffing for SPD, she said more involvement from the community on resolving crime issues would be helpful. “SPD is continuing to hire and get more officers on the street, but until we do that, we gotta do what we can with what we have – it’s a team effort, we really need you guys to come up with some ideas as well.” she said. “In all of West Seattle, including South Park, we have at any given time about 10 officers working that whole area. That is not ideal.” She emphasized that for community issues which are not emergencies, it is best for community members to utilize alternative resources, such as the non-emergency line, or submitting videos to the SPD website.
Next, SPD Captain Dan Nelson provided an update on ongoing preparations the department is taking for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. He said the city is expecting 750,000 extra tourists. The games will start on June 15th, and last until July 6th, and during this time many new precautions are being put into place, mostly in the Stadium District. He said SPD’s main goals are enhanced patrols for highly crowded areas, an emphasis on preventing crowd injuries and deaths, and facilitating, coordinating, and keeping fan activity lawful.
Captain Nelson also emphasized that the increase in patrols around the stadium area would not take away from other precincts in the city, especially at a time when SPD is facing staffing issues (as Capt. Bair had noted earlier). “None of the officers around the stadium area are pulled from other parts of the city,” he said. Much of the response would come from mutual aid provided by other state and federal agencies. (He also noted the federal agencies coming to assist with the area would not involve ICE in any capacity.)
Some discussion on preparation returned to the issue of Mayor Katie Wilson‘s policy on keeping surveillance cameras off by default for the World Cup (recently covered here when District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka called for Wilson to turn them on). Captain Nelson clarified that, despite the policy, the cameras still can remain an important tool. “Wilson’s vision is they will remain off without a credible threat, but they can be turned on a moment’s notice when needed.” he said.
He said that more information can be found on SPD’s website, which has a full page dedicated to their efforts for FIFA.
When it was time for comments from community leaders and members, those mostly focused on ongoing issues with homelessness in West Seattle. Specifically, members brought up issues with an increased presence in areas near the Alaska Junction, and ongoing issues with RV encampments near Puget Ridge. The response from SPD officials was that the increased presence was not related to FIFA preparations, and as always, they were continuing to look into it. Unfortunately, they noted, there was not much they could do with the returns of encampments or RVs. “The problem as you’ve seen is when they leave and then they come back – we don’t have the capability to prevent them from coming back, except when you report it to us.” said Precinct Captain Bair. She noted the difficulty of removing encampments surrounded the fact that they involve multiple agencies, such as Parks and SDOT, and responses had to be prioritized not just for West Seattle but across the city. She recommended, all the same, that if neighbors are concerned about ongoing matters they should continue to report it – daily, if need be.
Other community discussion centered around ongoing issues with street racing, crime, and general traffic on Alki and Harbor Avenue – including hotspots like Don Armeni. Members of the community were concerned that, especially with the upcoming World Cup, there would not be enough resources to deal with these problems. Captain Nelson noted that they are working on plans for this. “As far as coming up for strategies, we are organizing additional officers for the area. We can definitely pivot and come up with a coordinated response.” he said.
The meeting also featured an appearance by Cindy Wong, who is the relatively recently hired Deputy Chief of Staff for SPD. She introduced herself as a long-time Seattle resident and government participant, who most recently had worked for former Mayor Harrell’s cabinet as chief of his public safety team. She said that coordination between city agencies is a major responsibility of hers.
(WSB photo: From left, Capt. Dan Nelson, Cindy Wong, Jennifer Satterwhite, Ella McRae, Matt Brown, Capt. Krista Bair)
Also of note: This was the last West Seattle meeting for Matt Brown, who has served as Crime Prevention Coordinator for the Southwest Precinct while Jennifer Satterwhite was on maternity leave. With her return, he will become a Crime Prevention Coordinator for the West Precinct downtown.
WHAT’S NEXT: The SWPAC meets every few months; we’ll publish the announcement when the next one is finalized. Meantime, one key date for neighborhoods is a little over two months away – this year’s Night Out is Tuesday, August 4, and you can register your block party now for clearance to close your (non-arterial) street.
1:04 PM: Thanks for the tips. SWAT officers are reported to be after someone in a Fauntleroy Way building just south of Alaska. We are working on details.
1:39 PM: According to comments, the officers are inside the Maris Apartments (4722 Fauntleroy Way SW), which was the target of gunfire and rock-throwing last week. We have a question out to SPD about whether this is warrant- or incident-related.
2:14 PM: SPD replied, “SPD is assisting US Marshals.” We’ve updated the headline. We’ll inquire with that agency next.
The photos are from a resident near 18th and Orchard, reporting confirmed gunfire in the 7100 block of 18th last night. He reports, “10:19 pm. 6 shots fired. Took SPD an hour to respond and they said ‘well, we looked around earlier and didn’t see anything.” I had to lead them to the pile of shell casings on the street.” Police, he adds, left some of the casings behind, and they were still in view this morning:
They didn’t bother to take any statements despite the fact that there was a witness present who saw the car that did the shooting. A supervisor came by around 11:45 and told the officer present to bag the four shell casings they had found. And then everyone left.
I went back to the scene this morning only to find the two shell casings I had pointed out to the officer still there (including one that he had comically left his business card tented over), 6 bullet holes in the pavement, and a spent round.
I called cops again and they sent an officer out to collect the evidence and he was confused that they hadn’t picked up the casings that I showed them last night. He said that their watch shift was unaware that there had even been a shooting in the area and assumed that since there was no property damage or anyone hurt it just hadn’t been passed on to new shifts.
We suggested that the concerns/questions raised by how this unfolded be brought to the SPD community meeting this Thursday at Delridge Community Center.
Looking ahead past the holiday weekend: The next Southwest Precinct Advisory Council meeting – the community’s chance to hear from and talk with local police – is one week from tonight. Here’s the agenda announcement:
Location: 4501 Delridge Way SW (Delridge Community Center)
Date and Time: 5/28/2026 from 5 pm to 6:30 pm
Purpose: To meet with the SW Precinct Community and discuss current needs of West Seattle and South Park. The focus will be on FIFA World Cup preparation and safety.Speakers:
Dan Nelson – SPD Captain and Head of FIFA Preparation
Cindy Wong – SPD Deputy Chief of Staff
Krista Bair – SW Precinct CaptainAgenda:
Introductions of Speakers and Community Leads – Matt Brown and Jennifer Satterwhite
Precinct Updates – Captain Bair
Overview of the Role of the Deputy Chief of Staff – Cindy Wong
FIFA Preparation – Captain Nelson
Community Feedback and Needs – SW Community Leads
Open Q&A – Facilitated by Jennifer Satterwhite
The advisory council has community leads but otherwise consists of everyone who shows up.
Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite asked us to share this volunteering request with you:
The Seattle Police Department Training Unit is looking for 10 additional volunteers to consume marijuana (in whatever form they prefer), and allow Officers to practice DUI testing.
The Green Lab will be held on Friday, May 29, at our Training Facility in SODO, from approximately 9am – 4pm.
We will ask you to provide your own marijuana products and paraphernalia.
We will provide lunch and snacks.
If you would like to volunteer – please email Jennifer Satterwhite at Jennifer.Satterwhite@seattle.gov with the following information and she will get you confirmed:
-Name, email address & cell phone number
-Method of consumption (edibles, smoking, vaping, etc.)
-Transportation Plan
We ask that you do not drive to or from the training – and not for the rest of the evening.
We can assist with getting you a ride, if needed
-Snack preferences
-Dietary restrictionsFeel free to reach out with questions, or for additional information about how the Training will be structured.
Thank you for your time and consideration.-Jennifer Satterwhite
Wet Lab & Green Lab Participant Coordinator
Seattle Police Department
A few readers have asked about a “scenes of violence” response at Westwood Village just before 6 am today. Though it was dispatched as a possible stabbing, both police-radio traffic and information we got when following up directly from SPD say that’s not what it turned out to be. We contacted police after hearing in the archived radio communication an officer saying the situation might actually be a “medical issue.” Responding to our follow-up question via email, SPD spokesperson Det. Brian Pritchard confirmed that, telling us, “There was no stabbing, a 53-year-old man’s (PICC) line (peripherally inserted central catheter) was leaking. The subject was transported to Harborview Medical Center (HMC). Despite the medical staff’s efforts at HMC the man was pronounced deceased.”
(WSB photo, 42nd/Morgan)
8:36 PM: Police are closing SW Morgan from Fauntleroy to 39th because of a standoff. Per radio communication, a man is “barricaded inside (a residence) with a baby.” We don’t know yet how this started, but avoid the area.
9:12 PM: 41st also is blocked at Morgan. And the SWAT team has been called in.
9:19 PM: Nearby residents heard what sounded like shots; an officer radioed to “send in fire” and asked that others “check on the child.” But we don’t yet know what happened.
9:26 PM: It’s still not clear from the fragmented radio transmissions what happened but talk of placing the suspect into a car leads us to believe he’s in custody. As for the “shots,” keep in mind there are several non-gunshot tactics in situations like this that can sound like shots/explosions but aren’t.Meantime, a neighbor reports SWAT has departed.
SUNDAY UPDATE: SPD released this summary:
At 1928 hours, Officers responded to a call of a male reported to be in crisis who had barricaded himself inside his residence with his infant in West Seattle. SWAT and HNT personnel heard the broadcasted call and responded to the scene. A short time later, the male was taken into custody without incident. The male subject was later transported and booked into KCJ for DV Assault and Criminal Mistreatment.
He remains in the King County Jail tonight.
Fires aren’t allowed on the beach at Lincoln Park, ever, so this one tonight on the park’s north-side shore brought out SFD.
The person who texted the photos described it originally as a “huge bonfire” apparently started by a man who appeared in crisis. Police are there now.
9:34 PM: If you’re wondering about the sirens in Arbor Heights, especially given the search earlier, this isn’t related – a bicyclist was hit by a driver at 35th SW and SW 108th, according to the dispatch, and the driver is reported to have left the scene. The woman who was hit is not reported to have major injuries so the response is being downsized.
10:38 PM: We haven’t heard anything further such as a driver/vehicle description. A comment below says police are looking for video that may show what happened. Meantime, we’re checking with SFD medics re: the rider.
ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: SFD says the 20-year-old woman who was riding when hit was taken to Harborview by AMR ambulance.
9:42 AM: This was logged overnight as a crash under the West Seattle Bridge at 1st/Spokane, but SPD Blotter reports it started with a collision on a bridge offramp, and ended a life:
Seattle police detectives are investigating a fatal collision on the West Seattle Bridge this morning.
At 1:57 a.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a motorcycle crash on the 1st Avenue South off-ramp from the WSB. There, police found a man deceased on the ground below.
The Seattle Fire Department arrived and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.
Police cordoned off the area and detectives with the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) arrived to process the scene.
Detectives determined that the motorcyclist, driving westbound on the WSB, struck a guardrail while taking the off-ramp. The driver flew over the railing, and landed below on the 1st Avenue South sidewalk, where he died from his injuries.
The King County Medical Examiner will take custody of the deceased. Anyone with information is asked to call TCIS at 206-684-8923.
ADDED 2:38 PM: This isn’t the first crash of its kind. Ten years ago, another rider was killed at Spokane/Marginal; we had a followup with his family.
3:59 PM: The King County Medical Examiner has identified the rider as 34-year-old Andrew D. Hedberg.
2:28 PM: Avoid the area.
(Added: Texted photo)
2:39 PM: Original report was a sighting of someone who might have been involved in the South Delridge shooting from earlier.
(WSB photo from Saturday, dropoff boxes in SW Precinct community room)
The total’s in from Saturday’s Drug Take-Back Day dropoffs at the Southwest Precinct. Crime Prevention Coordinator Matt Brown – one of three SPD personnel there when we stopped by – reports, “Thank you so much for all who participated! SW Precinct collected 155.36 lbs of expired medications (which was just barely less than the North Precinct at 156.1 lbs! We’ll get them next time in October). It was a fantastic turnout, and we really appreciated the way West Seattle responded.” Brown also notes that the next Southwest Precinct Advisory Council community meeting with police is tentatively set for May 28 – watch for a detailed announcement when confirmed.
(WSB photos)
Another twice-yearly dropoff event happening right now – the Southwest Precinct community room (right off the public parking lot at 2300 SW Webster) is where to take medication(s) you need to dispose of, during Drug Take-Back Day. The boxes were filling up, but they’re ready to accept whatever you bring; expired and/or unneeded medication left in your home can be dangerous for a variety of reasons. This is continuing until 2 pm today.
(In our top photo are Community Service Officer Janice Young, Officer German Barreto, and Crime Prevention Coordinator Matt Brown.)
For those asking about the big police response in The Junction, near 42nd/Alaska – this was called in as a woman who had a hatchet being chased by a man. Initial reports of weapon involvement always mean a larger response, at least until things are sorted out (as was the case, for example, in an unrelated response in the Luna Park neighborhood a few hours ago, which turned out to be a person in crisis). In this case, nobody is injured, and police have just told dispatch that “both parties are being uncooperative,” so at this point it does not appear anyone will be taken into custody for any alleged crime.
Though the Southwest Precinct is next door, the major police response at the Delridge Home Depot this past hour was big enough to catch a reader’s attention. Here’s what we found out: It started as a shoplifting attempt, with the would-be shoplifter threatening to kill someone who tried to stop him. The police officer who responded decided to search the “wooded area” behind the store – a known encampment site – and asked for backup units. A suspect was found and taken into custody. (Thanks again for tips if/when you see notable police responses – text 206-293-6302 any time.)
12:31 AM: Multiple 911 calls about possible gunfire about 10 minutes ago, and dispatch has told officers one caller has reported a bullet through his window on 35th north of Roxbury. Police are en route to verify. No injuries reported so far.
12:33 AM: Police have not only confirmed the window damage, but also have reported finding casings at 35th SW and SW Cambridge. [map]
(Roadblock just south of shooting intersection, as seen from 35th/Roxbury traffic camera pointed north)
Officers are closing 35th both ways while they look for more evidence.
1:35 AM: Police just announced they’re reopening 35th in a few minutes. And they’ve found bullet damage to at least two cars.
2:26 PM: The photo above is from a comment below. And SPD just sent this in response to our request for followup info:
On April 9, just before 12:30 a.m., patrol officers responded to reports of gunfire near 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Cambridge Street. There, officers found a shooting scene that stretched across the intersection. Three residences and three unoccupied vehicles were struck by the gunfire. Police did not find any witnesses, suspects, or victims with injuries. Investigators recovered dozens of spent shell casings in the roadway.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are unknown and under investigation. Detectives in the Gun Violence Reduction Unit are assigned to this case. Anyone with information is asked to call the violent crimes tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
The SPD incident # is (updated) 26-96582.
ORIGINAL FRIDAY NIGHT REPORT: We asked police to confirm details of an incident we heard over the air this afternoon, involving an armed 93-year-old man arrested after taking his wife from Quail Park of West Seattle, and received this summary a few minutes ago in response:
At about 1:30 p.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a man with a gun at a permanent care facility in the 4500 block of 41st Avenue Southwest. While [they] responded to the call, officers learned that the suspect, 93, was the elderly husband of one of the residents, a 90-year-old woman. The armed man took his wife and left the facility before police arrived.
Officers, with the assistance of the King County Sheriff’s Office, found the man and his wife in Burien. Police and KCSO deputies stopped the vehicle they were in and arrested the suspect without incident and recovered the gun as evidence. Officers booked the suspect into the King County Jail for felony harassment and felony assault.
Police determined that the elderly victim was extremely confused, unable to care for herself, and uncooperative with officers and the Community Service Officers. She refused to go back to the care facility. Instead, she wanted to be released to walk home, where she no longer lives. Police requested an ambulance to take her to the hospital for medical evaluation.
Detectives in the Gun Violence Reduction Unit are assigned to this case.
Radio exchanges during the incident indicated the man was headed to Burien because he lives there, while his wife is a Quail Park resident. Online records show he’s still in custody at the jail.
SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: The jail roster shows he was released tonight.
We’ve received several texts about this, and dispatch indicates many 911 calls, so we’re mentioning that what may have sounded like gunfire in the Beach Drive/Alki area, wasn’t. Seattle Police sent to check out the reports told dispatch that they’ve talked to people – including a parked ambulance crew – who saw fireworks.
(Added: Reader photo)
9 AM: Thanks for the tips. Police were at West Seattle High School this morning investigating a stolen car crashed and abandoned on the south side of the parking lot campus.The car, a gray Kia Soul, turned out to have been stolen from someone in Seaview; police were reported to be bringing the owner there. Police were dispatched around 7:30 this morning, but whoever had been driving the stolen Kia was gone by then. (If you have any information, the police report # is 26-76480.)
10:22 AM: Added above, photo sent by another reader (thank you!).
Hundreds of Seattle Police vehicles are equipped with automated license-plate readers (ALPRs), and if you listen to police radio, you’ll hear multiple calls every day where officers turn up stolen cars because of an “ALPR hit.” It also turns out that’s how they were alerted to a Silver Alert subject’s presence in Admiral on Monday. But ALPRs also raise privacy concerns, as they routinely gather information potentially linking people to certain locations. So SPD cars won’t be using them for a while, as one of Mayor Katie Wilson‘s surveillance decisions announced this afternoon. She also announced:
-Expansion of surveillance pilot paused “until we have completed a privacy and data governance audit, and taken significant steps to strengthen those policies”
-SPD’s Real-Time Crime Center “will continue to operate and existing cameras will remain in place”
-Cameras planned for installation soon in the Stadium District will be installed “given the unique nature of the upcoming World Cup and the current geopolitical situation” but “they will not be turned on and will not be connected to the RTCC unless we are aware of a credible threat which warrants such action.”
-An installed camera that “has a view of a facility which provides reproductive health care and gender-affirming care” will be turned off “until we’ve completed a comprehensive security audit and have stronger safeguards in place”
-All cameras will be turned off “in the event of a surge of immigration enforcement similar to what was seen in Minneapolis”
Mayor Wilson’s announcement about the ALPRs noted that state legislators “recently added welcome new restrictions to limit the potential abuse of this technology” so she wants to pause their use “until we can ensure that our practices are consistent with the new state law and reflect the best safety and security policies.” The bill that passed the legislature is this one, awaiting the governor’s signature.
The mayor’s full speech about surveillance is in video above, and you can read it online here.
After hearing a police dispatch last night for someone finding a possible “human skull” at the Waste Management transfer station on West Marginal Way, we followed up with police today. Here’s all the info they provided:
On 03/15/2026 at about 7:30 p.m., officers responded to a Waste Transfer station in West Seattle, where a security guard reported finding what appeared to be a human skull. Unable to determine its authenticity, it was photographed in place and entered into evidence. Homicide was contacted as well as the King County Medical Examiner, and a report was written.
The initial dispatch said the possible skull was found “amongst recycling.”
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