West Seattle, Washington
06 Sunday
(WSB photos)
8:59 PM: SPD and SFD have a “scenes of violence” callout in the 8800 block of Delridge. Updates to come.
9:05 PM: This was initially described as a possible stabbing and police have since reported finding ‘the mother of the victim’ but no word on the victim’s status. The SFD response has closed.
9:16 PM: Per scanner, another call a couple blocks on Delridge is being linked to this one.
9:25 PM: We have finally made it to the scene. Some police at Delridge/Trenton, more – plus an ambulance – at the business corner of Delridge/Henderson. One person found there will be taken to the hospital, police tell us, but they’re not certain yet if it’s the person injured a couple blocks north (where radio exchanges earlier mentioned blood found in an apartment). No one in custody and we’re now seeing a K-9 team arriving.
10:23 PM: Per radio exchange, police have yet to finish sorting this out. They’re talking to others who had some role in whatever happened, and an SFD unit is headed back to the original Delridge/Trenton scene.
10:19 AM: If you’re wondering why police are currently searching in Arbor Heights: The search, including a K9 team, is in a wide area centered on 41st/100th but also stretching to the south and east. They’re looking for a woman suspected of assault in what’s described as a case of domestic violence. Partial description: 36-year-old white woman with dark hair, wearing a red shirt. If you have any information, call 911.
10:56 AM: No further updates; we’ll be checking later with police to see if they ever found the suspect, whose workplace was reportedly going to be checked too.
11:09 AM: SPD Det. Mark Jamieson tells WSB that the suspect was taken into custody and is being taken to King County Jail to be booked for investigation of assault.
(WSB photos)
9:20 PM: Thanks for the tips. Big police response right now at Delridge/Juneau as police investigate gunfire. No injuries; officers have more than a dozen evidence markers in the street (Juneau east of Delridge) and some damage is reported at Longfellow Creek Apartments on the other side of the intersection.
9:54 PM: Photos added. Police were too busy for further comment; no info so far on suspect description(s).
2:57 PM: Several people have asked about an incident that brought police and fire to California/Admiral this morning. We talked with police a short time ago and they stress that the investigation is continuing but here’s what they have so far: Det. Mark Jamieson says 911 started getting calls around 11:20 am about a “possible robbery or assault” situation near the Wells Fargo branch at 2358 California SW. A man was using the ATM when “three young people approached him – they had words, and at some point they started to assault him.” That’s when the man picked up a rock and hit one of them in self-defense. He also pulled out a handgun as they scattered – no shots were fired but that too was in self-defense, so far as police have found. Officers were arriving by then and detained the man while sorting out what had happened. They also found two of the suspects, including the one who was injured, and he was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Det. Jamieson says they believe they know the third one’s identity. The full report should be available by tomorrow and we’ll be following up.
4:25 PM: We’ve heard from the victim’s wife. She said he was pushed to the ground during the attack and was going to a doctor to be checked out.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: As mentioned in comments, we have obtained the full incident report, with names redacted by SPD. You can see it here (PDF).
(WSB photo from 2017 Coffee with a Cop)
If you have a concern/question for local police but haven’t been able to get to the regular evening meetings – we just got word that they’ll be at Westwood Village Starbucks (the standalone shop on the east side of the center) this Wednesday (October 3), 1-2:30 pm, for National Coffee with a Cop Day.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:38 PM: After tips (thank you), we went to the 3600 block of 60th SW, in South Alki, where police were on the scene after a person was found dead. So far, it does not appear to be a homicide investigation; after the officer on scene said he couldn’t comment to media, we contacted SPD media relations, and they have no word of a homicide investigation there (or anywhere else). Neighbors told us the body was found by a landscaper who had been working in the sloped back yard of a house while its residents were away this afternoon, near the SW Spokane stairway between 60th and 61st [map]. A vehicle from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (at right in our top photo) arrived while we were there; it will be up to them to identify the person and determine the cause of death.
8:05 PM: We have just learned from family and friends of Jackie Dupras, the 74-year-old West Seattle community activist missing for two weeks, that they have been told she is the person they found. Jackie’s husband Ed Dupras said the Medical Examiner came to their house this evening to tell him. As we have reported, Ms. Dupras had been diagnosed with dementia. Her husband says authorities believe she may have become disoriented after wandering into that area and unable to find her way out. Family and friends had been searching and posting/sharing flyers since news of her disappearance started circulating week before last.
(SPD presentation starts 1:16 in)
In her Thursday afternoon appearance during the City Council’s first-round budget review, Police Chief Carmen Best revealed three goals for crime reduction in the year ahead: Cutting auto theft, residential burglary, and commercial robbery. She said that residential burglary had hit the Southwest and South Precinct areas particularly hard, so she wants to bring it down five percent in those areas, while reducing vehicle theft by five percent citywide, and reducing commercial robbery by two percent.
As noted when the citywide budget plan was rolled out by the mayor on Monday, the chief hopes to add 10 officers next year – beyond replacing those who leaving – and 30 in 2020. Councilmembers spent a significant amount of time grilling Best on staffing levels, saying they are hearing from constituents over and over again that the city doesn’t have enough police. The force currently numbers 1,457, she had said, “more deployable officers than it has ever had,” while acknowledging “we need more officers.” Recruiting, she said, is currently a big challenge.
Another number of note: The proposed SPD budget for next year is $363 million, a 10 percent increase, with most of the increase attributed to technology investments that have to be made next year.
SPD was the last department to present its budget overview in 2 days of presentations to the council. Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s latest weekly update outlined where the process goes from here, including a public hearing at City Hall next Thursday (October 4th).
8:24 PM: If you’re hearing Guardian One, the helicopter crew has tweeted that they are helping Seattle Police search for “a robbery suspect that fled in a vehicle on Delridge Way SW from the Home Depot.” More when we get it.
9:04 PM: We checked the area and couldn’t find anyone still searching, so we stopped at the precinct to see what we could find out. The robbery was a case of shoplifting turned violent. No one in custody.
(WSB photo from late this afternoon)
As reported in our coverage of Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s Highland Park Action Committee appearance last night, the city says its cleanup of the east side of Myers Way – which, as noted here Tuesday night, involved dozens of city crews – only took three days. This formal notification is from the Southwest Precinct:
The SW Precinct would like to inform our community that the Myers Way encampment has officially been dismantled. Hundreds of pounds of trash and debris was removed and the encampment was entirely cleared out.
Although the individuals living there were offered many services that the City of Seattle has to offer, a majority of the encampment’s residents declined these offers.
The SW Precinct is working diligently to track the displacement of these individuals, and we encourage our community to stay vigilant and aware. Remember to report crime and suspicious behavior by calling 911, secure your homes and outbuildings by locking doors and windows, and get involved with your community via Block Watch and other community organizations.
Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner, who sent the announcement, also reminds you that she and the precinct offer “free safety/security assessments” – e-mail her at jennifer.danner@seattle.gov to find out more.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
For the fourth time in two weeks, the big headline in a community-meeting update from Southwest Precinct police leadership was the Myers Way east-side cleanup – now under way.
This time, the update was at the first West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting since the group’s summer hiatus (most community groups skip at least a month of meetings in the summer). The meeting also included a briefing on Mental Health First Aid training. But first:
POLICE BRIEFING: Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis said they’re trying to “not spend a lot of time reintroducing ourselves to old problems … there’s a lot of frustration with problems that pop up over and over again.” He said RVs and encampments are a recurring concern and insisted “we go after them very vigorously until we get them gone.” He said they have been “dismantling that monstrosity,” referring to the illegal encampment on Myers Way where a major city-led cleanup is in its second day – we went by again this afternoon and saw 29 city vehicles large and small, including SPD’s Mobile Precinct.
2:41 AM: Just checked this out after a tip. SFD and all but one Seattle Police officer had already cleared the scene in the 7100 block of 29th SW. SPD says it was a “person in crisis” situation and that the person has been taken to the hospital. We’ll add any followup information we get later.
12:53 PM: Update from SFD: The person who was transported was taken to the hospital in stable condition with what was determined to be a self-inflicted wound.
One week has now passed since West Seattleite Jackie Dupras was last seen by her loved ones. They are hopeful that someone somewhere has seen her or knows where she is and can help bring her home. One big way to help: Distribute this poster, online and offline, because she could be anywhere by now. She has been diagnosed with dementia.
Here is a printable PDF version of the poster. As noted, Jackie is 74 years old, 5’3″, 135 pounds, with red/gray hair. We’ve asked that family and friends let us know if there are any organized searches or other ways people could help – for now, the main thing you can do is to just be on the lookout anywhere and everywhere, and call 911 with any information.
An alert from Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Steve Strand: “We have gotten several complaints of “rude” and harassing phone calls coming from one of our Southwest Precinct phone numbers. These calls are not coming from our building.” In one example, a person received a call on their cell phone displaying a number that started with 206-233; the caller asked for the recipient by name, and when they asked who was calling, the caller uttered a profane death threat, and shortly thereafter hung up. Lt. Strand says they want to get the word out about this “to alert our community that we are attempting to address this concern and determine who is doing this and why.”
12:54 AM: Police are being sent right now to the Harbor Avenue 7-11 after a reported armed robbery. According to police dispatch, three people robbed the store at gunpoint. The clerk is reported to be injured, so SFD is being sent too. So far, only a partial description of the robbers – three men, one black, two white, in their late 20s, one in a white jacket, two in black jackets. We’ll add anything more we find out.
1:00 AM: Two of the robbers were reported to have been wearing masks; all three were last seen walking away, possibly carrying cases of beer. The Guardian One law-enforcement helicopter is now in the area helping with the search.
1:29 AM: No luck so far.
10:19 AM: We just checked with SPD media relations. The robbers are still at large. Description and circumstances info in the report is all the same as what we reported at the time, with two added details: This was reported by a customer who came into the store about five minutes after the holdup and found the clerk injured. One of the robbers had hit him on the back of the head with an object believed to have been a gun. SFD treated him at the scene.
11:07 AM: A large police/fire response along the Duwamish River this morning followed the discovery of a body in the water. A Seattle Police spokesperson tells WSB they got word from Port of Seattle PD, and a search/recovery operation ensued. We went to the area south of Herring’s House Park after tips from passersby who noticed the sizable police presence. SFD and SPD teamed up for the recovery operation. We have no information yet about the person who was found – not even gender/age, nor how they died, which will be up to the King County Medical Examiner to determine.
12:08 PM: Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Steve Strand has one additional detail – he tells us the person who died was an “adult male.”
TUESDAY NIGHT: It’s now a day and a half since we reported that SPD was asking for help finding missing West Seattle resident Jackie Dupras, and her daughter says Jackie has not yet been found, and they are searching and posting flyers. She is described as “74, diagnosed with dementia and increasing memory issues, 5’3″, 135 lbs., reddish gray hair, green eyes.” Last seen Sunday in North Admiral, in the 1900 block of 46th Ave SW. Call 911 if you have information.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Here’s the poster her family has made:
Another West Seattle missing-person alert from SPD:
MISSING: Jacqueline Dupras, 74. Diagnosed with dementia and increasing memory issues. 5'3", 135 lbs., reddish grey hair, green eyes. Unknown clothing description. Last seen Sunday in the 1900 block 46th Ave SW. Call 911 if seen. pic.twitter.com/cpON5jvJyg
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) September 17, 2018
Jackie has long been active in the community, so many know her.
9:29 AM: If you’ve noticed the police presence in/around Lincoln Park – we just went down to find out. Officers say a man tried to rob the gas station/mini-mart just north of the park and might have fled into the park, so that’s why they’ve been searching. The description broadcast on police radio: “Light-skinned black male, light facial hair,” wearing a baseball-style cap over a pulled-up hoodie with three reflective strips on it and cut-off sleeves, black pants, running shoes. If you have any information, call 911.
9:33 AM: Our crew subsequently went over to the gas station, where they were told it wasn’t an attempt, it was indeed a robbery, and the robber got away with some money. Detectives are there talking with them now.
Tuesday night, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council resumes monthly meetings after summer break – and it’s all about you. WSCPC president Richard Miller tells WSB the agenda is simple: Updates from local police, followed by open time for you to ask police questions and voice crime/safety-related concerns. It’s a unique chance to talk with police face to face, 7 pm Tuesday (September 18th) at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).
12:01 AM: Just broadcast on police radio, the teen boy missing in West Seattle has been found.
Earlier:
If you saw police under the West Seattle Bridge around 4 pm Thursday afternoon – they were involved in a rescue just detailed on SPD Blotter, with the body-cam video you can watch above. Here’s how Det. Patrick Michaud tells the story:
Some jobs call for a ladder, others call for 13 tons of steel, 127 horsepower (net, of course) and a quiet, but powerful hydraulic system.
Witnesses called 911 Thursday afternoon to report a man on a ledge in the 2600 block of SW Spokane Street.
Officers found the man standing on a ledge that they estimated to be six inches wide, occasionally slipping. Fearing for the man’s safety, Officer Morgan Irwin, whom you may remember from the time he commandeered a jetski, spotted a nearby backhoe driving down the road. Officer Irwin ran over to the driver and asked him for help.
The driver was able to position the machinery below the 48-year-old man, allowing him to safely jump inside it.
Once he was on the ground, medics took the man to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
Officer Irwin could not be reached for comment about what he planned to commandeer next.
Saturday night, we received a few messages about a police search, guns drawn, near California/Alaska in The Junction, including the photo above. We weren’t able to find out at the time what the search was about, but we found an incident number and requested followup information today. SPD tells WSB that a man with a gun was reported to have threatened a group of people. No shots fired, no one hurt, but officers found and arrested a suspect. The 40-year-old man remains in jail, under investigation for potential charges including unlawful use of a weapon for intimidation.
| 5 COMMENTS