West Seattle, Washington
09 Sunday
11:23 PM: A report of gunfire in Westwood has police searching for up to five suspects. Per scanner, they were most recently reported to have fled behind the 35th/Barton 7-11 southbound and then westbound. A K-9 team is joining the search. The person reported to have fired one shot is described as a young “light-skinned black male” wearing a “sparkly red jacket.” No injuries reported.
11:29 PM: The gunshot reportedly happened near the Southwest Library (35th/Henderson). Also, the Guardian One helicopter is joining the search.
11:35 PM: Per radio communication, this involved someone “chasing (the suspects) with a two-by-four” when one “turned around and shot at” that person.
11:49 PM: The search is scaling down; they’ve exhausted the possibilities and there are other pending calls.
ADDED THURSDAY AFTERNOON: We have obtained the report narrative from SPD. The person who said he was fired at told police that he was chasing the suspects because they had assaulted his girlfriend. He said the two of them are squatting in an empty house in the 9000 block of 35th SW. She was walking in the alley and around the 34th/Barton P-Patch, looking for cigarette butts, when she encountered the suspects. One asked her for cigarettes; she said she had none and was looking for them herself. Then, the boyfriend told police, the suspects called her names, punched her in the face, knocked her down, and kicked her. She screamed for help; her boyfriend went to the house where they were squatting, got a 2 x 4, and chased the suspects after calling 911. That’s when one turned and shot at him, he said, as they were running southbound behind the 35th/Barton 7-11. He said he lost track of them at that point. While he insisted that’s where the shot was fired, police did not find a shell casing nor any other evidence of gunfire. Nearby residents also said they heard the shot. As we reported last night, helicopter and K9 assisted in the subsequent search, but no one was found.
That’s free for you to borrow and use … just in case. Southwest Precinct Crime-Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner explains:
Due to a continued increase in burglaries over the last few months- the SW Precinct would like to remind our community members that you can rent a professional engraver from the SW Precinct for free!
These engravers allow you to mark your property (such as tools, bicycles and electronics) with an identifying number- such as your Driver’s License number. Then if/when your items are stolen- you are able to report to law enforcement that it was marked. These markings assist the Seattle Police Department in getting recovered property back to victims, as well as aid with investigations.
If you are interested in renting an engraver- please stop by the SW Precinct (2300 SW Webster St.) and speak with the desk officer. Remember the SW Precinct is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Please also keep in mind that I, as your SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, offer free residential and commercial safety/security assessments! Contact me directly for more information and for scheduling.
jennifer.danner@seattle.gov is the best way to reach her. Meantime, whether you choose to borrow/use the engraver or not, she also recommends you keep a home inventory – here’s a template that can help.
(10:34 am: Clicking “play” should take you to the archived video of what was a live feed from announcement at City Hall)
9:47 AM: Ten days after she was announced as back in the running for the permanent job, Interim Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best is about to get it. That’s according to a media advisory from the mayor’s office, which says Mayor Durkan will make the announcement at 10 am. We’ll add the official news release when it’s available.
10:12 AM: We have the live announcement going in a stream from City Hall above right now. Durkan says “everybody knows” Chief Best and knows she can do the job. “She knows our city and our officers.” Chief Best says, “I know great things are ahead” and says she is “incredibly grateful for the opportunity.”
10:21 AM: The speeches are over and now it’s question time. First, the mayor announced there’s a 3:30 pm meet-and-greet at City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes Room this afternoon for anyone who wants to meet the new chief (who does still need to be confirmed by the council), and she says they’ll be touring the city, visiting precinct roll calls, etc.
10:32 AM: The announcement event is over. The video window above should now take you to the archived video.
12:14 PM: After the jump (if you’re reading from our home page), the official news release:
That photo is from one of several people who messaged to ask/tip us about a big police response near Delridge/Brandon this past hour. We headed out to find out, but the police had all cleared the scene by the time we arrived, so we stopped at the Southwest Precinct to ask at the front desk. The log notation: Very loud argument between a man and woman, in or along the street. No injuries, as there was no aid dispatch. (Thanks again for the tips – 206-293-6302, text or voice, is the fastest way to reach us, 24/7.)
From Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner, another one of the occasional notifications that a Level 3 sex offender has moved into the area:
In an effort to keep you informed, and in our constant attempts to reduce future victimization, we want to let you know about one level 3 registered sex offender that has recently moved into a Southwest Precinct neighborhood.
Peter Schulte, a 69-year-old white male, is a level 3 registered sex offender who has recently moved to the 2700 block of California Ave SW in Seattle and is no longer under Department of Corrections supervision.
Detective Spong from the Seattle Police Department’s Sex Offender Detail is responsible for checking on this offender and verifying his address as long as he is residing there.
To learn more about this offender and to see his photo, please visit the King County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender website and search by their name. [Editor’s note: Here’s a direct link to the page with his photo.] You will also find personal safety tips and resources on this site.
If you have further questions about this offender, contact Michelle McRae of the Seattle Police Sex Offender Detail at 206-684-5581 or e-mail at michelle.mcrae@seattle.gov.
To register to receive an email alert whenever a published offender registers within one mile of your desired addresses, go to this link.
Level 3 sex offenders pose the highest risk to re-offend. It is normal to feel upset, angry and worried about a registered sex offender living in your community. The Community Notification Act of 1990 requires sex offenders to register in the community where they live. The law also allows local law enforcement to make the public aware about Level 2 and Level 3 offenders. Since these offenders have completed their sentences, they are free to live where they wish. Experts believe sex offenders are less likely to re-offend if they live and work in an environment free of harassment. Any actions taken against the listed sex offenders could result in arrest and prosecution as it is against the law to use this information in any way to threaten, intimidate or harass registered sex offenders. The SPD Sex offender detectives will check on these offenders every 3 months to verify our information.
The single most effective means of protecting your child is communication with your child. They have to feel comfortable discussing sensitive matters with you. Teach your children that they should not be asked to touch anyone in the bathing suit areas of their body or allow anyone to touch them in those areas. Teach them types of situations to avoid. It is not good enough to tell a child to avoid strangers. Please remember that children are most often molested by someone they or their parents know.
(WSB photo, February rally/march)
12:46 PM: Seattle Police have announced an arrest in the February murder of a 16-year-old boy in South Park. This was the deadly shooting that brought more than 100 people to a rally/march for peace days later. While the suspect is not yet charged in the murder, he is also jailed in connection with a $250,000 warrant in a case where charges have been filed, so we are publishing his name: 27-year-old Juan J. Macias. In the other case, he was charged in June with choking his girlfriend unconscious. We are checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to see if he is due for a bail hearing today; police say they arrested him in South Park on Saturday.
6:30 PM: Macias did have a bail hearing this afternoon. We don’t have documents yet but the jail register shows his bail now upped to $2,250,000.
Just in from the mayor’s office: One of the previously announced three finalists for Seattle Police Chief is out, Interim Chief Carmen Best is back in. Here’s the news release in its entirety:
Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced that former Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay formally withdrew from consideration for the role of Seattle Police Chief following conversations on police reform with Mayor Durkan. Mayor Durkan asked for the Competitive Exam to reconvene to choose an additional candidate, and following the convening, the assessors selected Interim Chief Carmen Best as an additional candidate. Interim Chief Best will join Eddie Frizell, Inspector, Minneapolis Police Department and Ely Reyes, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department as a finalist for the position.
“I met with former Chief McLay, reviewed his competitive exam materials, and have spoken with a number of individuals including the Mayor of Pittsburgh about his work. He understands the complexity of policing and has been a national leader on police reform. In our first conversation in June, he indicated that his strongest passion is in reform. The Seattle Police Department remains under federal court order and is in a critical two year compliance sustainment period. This upcoming week, Federal Judge Robart has called all parties to court for a status report, and I was briefed by the City Attorney and SPD ahead of the conference,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “One of my key priorities as Mayor has been to sustain reforms while continuing to build our nation-leading police department. I have been exploring a range of options to not just sustain reform, but continue to improve the department to meet the needs of our fast growing city. We need additional expertise to help the City in assessing our path forward under the Consent Decree and our work with the DOJ and the Monitoring Team. I talked with Chief McLay this past week and we agreed that assisting on reform efforts was the best way he could help Seattle.”
“As a law enforcement officer and former Chief of Police for the City of Pittsburgh, my passion has been on the processes for creating transformational change and organizational excellence. After a lot of thought about how I can make the biggest impact, and after conversations with my family and with Mayor Durkan over the last several weeks, it is clear to me that I can most effectively support Seattle’s continued reform efforts outside of the role of Chief of Police, which is why I’ve withdrawn from consideration to be the Seattle Police Department’s next Chief of Police. It was an honor to be considered for the Chief of Police role in one of America’s great cities, and I look forward to continue my conversations with Mayor Durkan and the City about how I can best support Seattle’s steps toward meaningful and lasting reform, grounded in a firm commitment to the best practices of 21st century policing,” said former Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay.
On Friday, Mayor Durkan asked the Seattle Department of Human Resources to reconvene the Competitive Exam process as specified in Section 2 and 3, Article 6 of the City Charter. On Saturday, the assessors reconvened using the same criteria: the nomination of candidates from the 25-person community-based Police Search Committee, the recommendations from the Search Committee and its co-chairs, information gathered during the recruitment and selection processes, and written responses to examination questions. The assessors recommended that Interim Chief Carmen best be added as an additional candidate for the Mayor to consider. You can find the Competitive Exam memo here.
This upcoming week, all candidates will do a series of community meetings and interviews with Mayor Durkan.
“As I begin the interview process, our next chief must be committed to public safety while continuing to build an accountable, diverse police department focused on meaningful and lasting reforms. I look forward to listening to the community and talking with all three candidates,” said Mayor Durkan.
In June and July, Mayor Durkan initially met with each of the candidates and the City conducted site visits to each of the cities. The site visit team included many members of the community including Mayor Burgess, Executive Director of the Chief Seattle Club Colleen Echohawk, Chinatown-International District Public Safety Advisor Sonny Nguyen, Pastor Lawrence Ricky Willis, United Black Christian Clergy and Asha Mohammed, Women’s Advocacy Center and Ian Warner, Legal Counsel to the Mayor and a former member of the Monitoring Team to the Consent Decree. The Mayor will have the site visit team do an equivalent review in Seattle in the coming days.
Previously, the 25 members of the Police Search Committee many of whom have extensive experience in criminal justice reform, collaborated with a national search firm to attract many qualified applicants from across the country. At the end of the community input process in late March, the Committee worked together to narrow the field of applicants. Five candidates were forwarded by the Police Selection Committee to participate in the Competitive Exam process. As required by the City Charter, the Competitive Exam process submitted three names to Mayor Durkan. You can read more about the full community engagement and search process here.
10:09 PM: Police have blocked off an area just south of the Southwest Precinct/Home Depot vicinity because of a standoff with a man who is reported to be armed with a gun and machete, at a building on 24th SW. No injuries reported but you will want to avoid the area. We’re monitoring.
10:30 PM: Per radio, police have called in negotiators and SWAT and continue trying to get the man to surrender.
10:32 PM: And he’s now in custody. No injuries reported.
ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: This incident is now summarized on SPD Blotter. The rifle seen with the suspect, who is 33 years old, turned out to be a BB gun.
2:54 PM: Thanks for the tips: Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Strand confirms that police have “a suspect in custody for the Highland Park burglaries/assaults. All of the information at this point is lining up and looks like we have the right guy.” The break-ins happened on 11th SW, 12th SW, and 13th SW a short distance north of SW Roxbury in the early-morning hours of June 17th and 19th. The suspect is still being questioned and has not yet been booked into jail.
3:08 PM: A bit more information – police say “the victim in one of the break-ins recognized the suspect on the street and called 911. Officers took the person into custody and turned them over to detectives. Detectives have not yet linked the suspect to all of the cases, but continue to investigate.”
ROBBERY INVESTIGATION: This past hour, police have been investigating a reported robbery/assault at the Delridge/Orchard Shell station, per radio communication. The assault victim was reported to be the clerk. No other details.
BICYCLE FOUND: AC found a “black and white road bike in the bushes close to Luna Park … Give me a call to ID and I hope you get your bike back. 206 229 1027.”
HIT-RUN: From the inbox: “I’ve reported a hit and run accident 6/22/18 along California and SW Hanford st, at about 1:00 am. The vehicle who hit me and took off looked like it could have been a 1997 dark green Chevy SUV. If anybody witnessed the incident, please call 206-883-5326. Thanks.”
PACKAGES TAKEN: Carolyn shares the video recorded near Lincoln Park at 7:32 am on Friday:
About :30 in, you see a car drive by, then back up, with two people getting out to take boxes from a doorstep. She says the car was a red 4-door Chevy with its back right window smashed in.
OTHER BURGLARIES: The South Delridge burglaries we’ve been reporting on are far from the only burglaries in our area this past week. Some others now have narratives in the publicly viewable report files, so here are our short summaries:
*4700 block SW Charlestown: Around 10:30 last Monday night (June 18th), a woman came home and found a man in her apartment, holding her flat-screen TV. She told police she yelled at him and he put the TV down and took off. The victim’s boyfriend was asleep in a back bedroom while all this happened. The intruder was described as white or Hispanic, in his early 30s, wearing a dark gray hoodie and dark pants.
*1500 block Alki SW: Around 11:30 am last Sunday (June 17th), a neighbor called the resident to say his house had been broken into early that morning. The resident couldn’t find any sign of forced entry but discovered that “his four Glock pistols and his AR-15 style rifle” were missing. The rifle and one pistol were fully loaded, he told police. The neighbor described the burglars only as “two black males and a white female” who left in “a red Taurus.”
*1700 block Alki SW: Last Monday morning, police were called to a complex of seven just-finished townhouses. They were told a lock box containing keys for all but one unit had been stolen sometime over the weekend, and at least one unit – whose new owner had already moved in – had been burglarized.
*9000 block 18th SW: Overnight last Saturday night/Sunday morning, someone broke into the office of a “large commercial building,” stealing two safes and a computer. The safes were reported to have contained jewelry, cash, and documents.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
At a time of year when neighbors should be getting together for something fun like a block party, a gathering tonight at one South Delridge house was sparked by a series of burglaries.
So they gathered with pizza – and police.
More than two dozen people crowded into a bungalow living room on 13th SW a short distance north of Roxbury to hear from, and get answers from, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis.
Within the span of just a few blocks, since Sunday morning, four burglaries have been reported to police, he confirmed, while neighbors wondered if there might have been at least one more. (Our previous report on them is here.) In at least two cases, the burglar’s description was the same – a 6’2″, 220-pound black man who turned up in the house in the middle of the night, “young” but at least 25, clean-shaven, a gap in his op teeth, a “soothing” voice.
No one’s been hurt physically, but the experience was terrifying.
Capt. Davis promised more police presence; he said the night shifts are on orders to do “emphasis patrols” in the area. That doesn’t mean you can expect to see police just parked there – but they’ll frequently be in the area.
Should neighbors go out and walk around on patrols of their own? he was asked.
Davis said he wouldn’t recommend that – “arbitrarily putting yourself in harm’s way is not good.” He did recommend that neighbors stay in close touch with each other, Block Watch-style; they already do, he was assured (a major reason for the crowd in the organizer’s living room), including via their own e-mail list.
One resident said she’s leaving her lights on all night. The captain suggested contacting Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner (jennifer.danner@seattle.gov) for a home assessment that would lead to suggestions of other ways to beef up security.
What if your landlord doesn’t want to make the changes? “We can strongly recommend that they do,” Davis replied.
The neighbors’ questions continued. Would the burglar come back to the same house? “We’re not sure what this individual wants,” Davis said. One victim said he seemed lonely – seemed to be “looking for love.”
Some wondered if he lives in the area – there’s a “halfway house” nearby, neighbors noted; one said she had contacted people there but no leads so far.
A burglary detective is on the case and will be talking with each victim, Davis reassured the neighbors.
With the city-county line so close by, are police talking to the King County Sheriff’s Office? Yes.
Will police talk with neighbors beyond those who have reported the crimes, just in case somebody saw something? Yes.
Has anything like this happened in any other West Seattle neighborhood? No.
In one case, the burglar bled from broken window glass, so that’s providing evidence that police can test, though Capt. Davis wasn’t certain how soon results would be available. Neighbors’ vigilance is the best way to help with the investigation, he said – “if you see something, say something … so we can get this individual off the street.”
(Photo tweeted by @kcline)
8:48 PM: Thanks for the tips – we are told Fauntleroy Way SW is blocked at Dawson because of a police response. It is reported to be a “person in crisis” situation involving a juvenile. We are on our way to find out more. Avoid the area in the meantime.
9:04 PM: Our crew says this is ending and the juvenile is safe. Police tell us the road should reopen within 15 minutes or so.
12:28 AM: Two things:
*If you heard “gunshots or fireworks?” noise around midnight, according to police radio communication, it was fireworks, 24th/Holden vicinity.
*Thanks for all the tips about a search in northeast Arbor Heights. We know it involves both KCSO and SPD but we’re not sure yet what started it, so we’re heading over to see what we can find out.
1 AM UPDATE: We have found multiple officers on 28th and 30th south of Roxbury. Two said the search was related to a convenience-store robbery but wouldn’t/couldn’t say where. We have gone by several stores, no obvious signs of trouble. A K9 team was out on 28th when we went through. That’s all we have – no descriptions of who’s being sought.
2:50 AM: Unrelated incident, so far as we know, but it’s still early-morning police activity, so we’re adding … the sirens in south West Seattle this time are because police are now looking for a burglary suspect in South Delridge. We missed the exact address but one of the containment points is 18th/Henderson. The description of the suspect so far is black, male, 6’2″, 220 pounds, no shirt, no shoes, possibly bleeding from broken window glass.
3:29 AM: Still searching.
5:34 PM UPDATE: KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott tells us this started as a shoplifting attempt by three juveniles at the 28th/Roxbury 76 station minimart. They tried to steal some candy; “When they were stopped by the clerk, one of them produced a handgun and threatened to shoot the clerk.” The search never did turn them up.
9:33 AM: Thanks for the tip about police searching a house near 36th SW and SW Manning. They tell us it’s a warrant search, but that’s all they can say while it’s happening. We’ll be following up.
12:03 PM: Talked to precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith at the Morgan Junction Community Festival. He says it was a drug-case warrant.
(WSB photos)
10:25 AM: Police are searching for a suspect in what they call a case of domestic-violence gunfire. It happened a short time ago in the 6500 block of 16th SW. They’re asking that everyone avoid the area. Per scanner, the suspect was described as a white man with a shaved head and red beard, possibly in a white Jeep Cherokee.
10:35 AM: Our crew reports 16th is closed to traffic in the 7000 block on the south side of this investigation. And just tweeted by SPD:
Police actively searching for Patrick Shephard, a white male, 6'2", thin build, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, also has a neck tattoo. Call 911 if seen.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) June 15, 2018
10:49 AM: Now per scanner police are headed for a nearby greenbelt to investigate a report of a possible body and gun – we don’t know for certain whether it’s related but there’s a fire call too. Also, South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) has sent a text alert that it’s on lockdown. And Metro has sent a text that it’s not serving the campus right now.
10:59 AM: Police confirm via Twitter that they believe the body is that of the suspect they were seeking and that he appears to have died by suicide, in the West Duwamish Greenbelt.
11:16 AM: As a commenter noticed, the location of the SFD response related to the body discovery keeps changing (most recently 13th/Holly). That’s because it’s taken a while for SFD to find the best path into the greenbelt.
Meantime, Metro continue to route transit out of the area, including Routes 125 and 128. We’ll update whenever that gets back to normal.
11:40 AM: We talked to police at the scene; they say this started with a confrontation between the suspect and an ex-girlfriend; he started firing shots into her house. No one was hit, according to police, but other people were home too and some, police say, even jumped out of a window to get away.
11:54 AM: SSC is back to normal operations and so is transit in the area, which means 16th has reopened.
Early this morning, police were back at the Puget Ridge home of repeat offender Gregory Thompson in the 7100 block of 18th SW. We’ve reported on him previously in connection with previous arrests including this case in February in which guns and drugs were recovered. This morning, police confirm to WSB that while they were at his house in connection with an unrelated case, they recovered most if not all of the fish stolen from Seattle Fish Company, in the Thursday morning heist reported here last night. The King County Jail Register shows Thompson was booked this morning for investigation of tampering. We don’t have details yet on that case but will add anything more we find out.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Key Southwest Precinct leadership outlined the “Alki summer-emphasis plan” to a roomful of residents last night.
Along with precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis and Lt. Steve Strand (soon to be the precinct’s second-in-command), Community Police Team officers were there, as were the precinct’s crime prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner and City Attorney’s Office precinct liaison Joe Everett.
This was held outside the usual schedule of community meetings, both at the precinct and in neighborhoods where SPD reps often are in attendance to provide crime-trend briefings; City Councilmember Lisa Herbold noted the meeting in her update last weekend on new efforts to facilitate cracking down on vehicle noise, which passed a council vote today (more on that later in this report).
Capt. Davis said the precinct has a comprehensive plan with a “couple components” added this year. “We’ve heard loud and clear from a lot of our community members” about problems including noise and other “quality-of-life issues.”
He said the Alki “summer-emphasis plan” has two main components:
(WSB photo from last Friday night(
Many have asked if there’s any update on the man who suffered life-threatening injuries when hit by a driver on 35th north of Avalon last Friday night. We asked Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith at last night’s Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council meeting (separate meeting report to come), and he checked for us this morning. He says the 35-year-old victim remains at Harborview Medical Center, listed in serious condition. The man was trying to cross at mid-block when the driver, northbound, hit him, per SPD’s online update later that night, after the road was reopened following 3-plus hours of investigation. Witnesses rushed in to do CPR even before authorities arrived.
(SPD mobile precinct and Alki traffic, May 2017 WSB photo)
For almost two years, we’ve been chronicling a new focus on the chronic vehicle-noise issues in the Alki/Admiral area, and Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s work to address it. In her weekly update, she announced she’s introducing new legislation this week to help police crack down – and an SPD community meeting next Tuesday:
As a beachside neighborhood and a regional destination, the Alki neighborhood and nearby areas face unique public safety and health challenges, especially during the warm-weather months. Residents, community groups, and visitors from elsewhere have expressed concern about public safety, and the growing impact of motor vehicle-related noise issues.
During the last two warm weather seasons, I’ve asked SPD to add additional officers; SPD recently announced they’ll be doing enhanced patrols this summer as well. I thank them for doing this.
I’ve also been working with community members to address vehicle noise in the Alki neighborhood since last year, when together we developed the Alki Public Safety and Health Survey. The survey showed noise from modified vehicle exhaust systems as the #1 community concern.
On Monday I’ll be introducing legislation to address vehicle exhaust system noise in the Alki neighborhood.
The legislation, if passed, will simplify enforcement by allowing officers to issue citations for muffler and engine noise that “can be clearly heard by a person of normal hearing at a distance of 75 feet or more from the vehicle.” This is the standard used for the City’s motor vehicle stereo noise law (SMC 25.08.515 (A)(2), in effect since 1989.
The current City law that covers motor vehicle exhaust noise requires use of sound meters, which are time-consuming and require calibration, and are thus very difficult to use for enforcement. This was underscored as a problem by SPD in their report to Council re: enforcement of vehicle noise on Alki. While there are muffler laws on the books, they are specific to whether the muffler is modified, rather than the amount of noise being made, and since it is difficult to determine whether mufflers have been modified, are consequently also difficult for police officers to enforce.
The legislation will be heard at the June 13th meeting of the Gender Equity, Safe Communities, New Americans and Education Committee chaired by Councilmember González. This meeting starts at 9:30 a.m., with public comment at the beginning.
In addition to muffler noise, my office also closely examined City laws for motor vehicle stereo noise and screeching tire noise. Both rated high as community concerns in the survey.
Working with the City Attorney’s Office and SPD, we’ve been able to clarify that the current City motor vehicle noise laws for stereo noise and screeching tire noise can be enforced as written. My office also worked to clarify that noise meters are not needed to enforce these motor vehicle noise laws, and it is not required to have a complaint from someone separate from the officer. Some sections of the noise code do require meters, and a constituent complaint.
This legislation will apply citywide, on city streets. Although the legislation mentions “highways,” in the Seattle Municipal Code section for noise enforcement, this just means any City road.
Also, the SW Precinct (2300 SW Webster St) will be hosting a community meeting the evening of June 12th at 6:30 p.m. to hear Southwest Precinct Captain Pierre Davis’ plans to address noise and speeding in Alki. SPD has committed to emphasis patrols (i.e. extra officers) in Alki during the warm weather months. I thank them for their commitment, and for reaching out to Alki residents early in the warm weather season.
WOMAN INJURED BY MASKED ATTACKER WITH CONFETTI GUN: Thanks to Kim for the tip on this and the photo. We didn’t make it to Westwood Village while this was unfolding but obtained the police report today. A 35-year-old man is in King County Jail today after being arrested Tuesday afternoon for investigation of assault. Police say he was wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and “soccer shin plate armor (plastic), with other various plastic armor plating underneath everyday clothing,” while walking on the east side of Westwood Village shooting people with a confetti gun. Seattle Fire checked one woman for minor injuries after she reported being hit in the eye. This was the suspect’s fourth booking in less than a year.
SIGNATURE SQUABBLE: Sorry to say, SPD tells us no report resulted from another Tuesday afternoon incident we briefly, and popularly, mentioned on Twitter, after hearing about it on the scanner:
And now, scanner: "An (incident) that could only happen in West Seattle – two signature-gatherers are in a shoving match outside Trader Joe's" (Actual quote)
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) June 5, 2018
The few lines in the SPD system say that a “petitioner” – it was not specified which campaign they were gathering for – was arguing with people, and the manager called police, who said the person could be “trespassed” (required to leave, and stay off the premises) if the situation persisted. Officers left and a while later, there was another call, but the manager called back and canceled before they arrived.
Two reader reports:
PLAGUED BY PACKAGE THEFTS: Kelli at Zippy Dogs in north Morgan Junction writes:
We are located over in the 6000 block on California Ave between Graham and Raymond streets. Our townhomes and businesses are having packages stolen on a very regular basis. The pictures show their faces, body type, build. White male, 20’s, heavy tattoos, he wears beanies and cap, sometimes has backpack. White female, 20’s, longish brown hair, she seems to be the lookout and he grabs packages. She helps carry the loot.
(Monday) they were carrying 3 bags stuff full of packages and a Rite Aid rolling basket loaded with their packages. These two yahoos have been caught stealing packages on our security cameras and (Monday) we followed them down California Ave while they walked to McDonald’s; unfortunately, the cops were shorthanded and busy and never made it to the scene for an hour and a half. They were long gone. They hang out at the Juneau Market (California and Juneau) and McDonald’s (California and Holly). They are very active, and walk up California Ave and nearby alleys, side streets and through a lot of townhome complexes that are easy targets especially if they have access to alleyways.
They have provided all their photos and videos to police, whose report number from Monday is 18-202147.
VANDALISM: Received via text:
My name is D and I was getting ready to work when I found my car, a Honda Fit, vandalized on my carport behind Pagliacci Pizza.
The gas door and lid were torn off, heavy scratches on the rear quarter panel and flattened tire.
There’s blood spots around the tire; the person might be hurt.
(Added: Photo sent by Jason)
2:04 PM: Southbound 35th SW is blocked right now at SW Thistle after a crash reported to involve two cars, and police are looking for two people reported to have run/walked away from one of them. They were last seen westbound on Thistle, “possibly bleeding.”
2:07 PM: Now police are saying one person – all we’ve heard are that both were believed to be male – might have left NB on 35th, and the other might have been subsequently seen near 37th/Cloverdale.
2:15 PM: A K-9 officer is in the area and might be joining the search.
2:25 PM: Police have one person in custody a few blocks south of the crash scene. He was reported to have been hiding in a Honey Bucket.
2:57 PM: Crash scene is clear. Here’s where police found the man:
SFD was called to check on him for possible crash injuries.
10:53 PM: The suspect, 30, is in King County Jail, booked for investigation of hit-and-run. The jail register shows it’s his fourth booking in just under a year.
(Saturday night photo by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)
On the second day after the murder along Alki Avenue SW, near Luna/Anchor Park [map], no arrest yet – and no new (public) information from Seattle Police. The victim was stabbed around 10 pm Saturday night and died at the scene. Along the Alki Trail, where his body remained for hours while investigators worked the scene, a memorial that started with a few flowers by Sunday evening grew today – including extensive tagging on the trail/sidewalk.
Police won’t say anything more than describing the investigation as “active and ongoing”; as noted in our Saturday night coverage, they don’t believe it was a random killing. It’s the second murder in West Seattle in less than a month, after the deadly shooting of 44-year-old Lorenzo Marr at West Seattle Stadium on May 8th, also still unsolved. The Alki victim’s name has yet to be released; police described him as in his mid-20s. If you have any information, you can call the SPD tip line at 206-233-5000 – or 911.
6:53 PM: Just in case you’re in the area and wondering: Though a response happening right now at 42nd/Alaska was dispatched as “scenes of violence” (formerly “assault with weapons”), scanner traffic indicates the incident did not involve any injury after all. However, police are looking for a suspect, and so we’re on the way to find out what the call is about.
7:02 PM: A sergeant at the scene would only say that this started as some kind of argument and they’re trying to sort out the details.
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