West Seattle, Washington
29 Wednesday
5:15 PM: Police at the scene aren’t saying much but the black car in the southbound lane of 35th SW just north of SW Webster is stolen, according to scanner traffic, and officers are searching for two men last seen running west from there. A K-9 team is now joining the search.
6:06 PM: No luck so far in finding the suspects. The car is no longer in the travel lane.
(WSB photo, SPD mobile precinct on Alki one warm night last month)
The sun’s out, and the season of long warm nights is almost here. That invariably brings cruising and vehicle noise to Alki Beach. The city has noise rules, but they’re tough to enforce, Seattle Police say. For more than a year, multiple initiatives have sought to see if something can be done to change that. Local community groups including the Alki Community Council hosted presentations by and discussions with a representative of a group working on new technology, and in the meantime, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold circulated a survey with results that showed the level of concern about the noise problem. She also got an item into the newest city budget requesting a report on the noise-enforcement situation. She released that report in her newest weekly update. You can read it here. In addition to explaining the challenges of enforcing noise rules, the report explains, for the first time, the “new technology”:
In a recent meeting with a community member concerning vehicle noise on Alki, the \ individual shared an emerging technology that could impact the enforcement of vehicle noise. The option utilizes an approach similar to that of automated speed zone cameras. As described, it uses air pressure generated from changes in noise levels to detect excessive noise. Pads or readers on the roadway identify the source vehicle and that vehicle’s license plate is read similar to the existing red light traffic enforcement process.
Should it operate correctly and be validated and accepted, it could operationally function as the automated camera enforcement program does. It would issue the vehicle owner a citation. This concept is early in development, but presents an interesting and innovative approach to the issue of excessive vehicle noise. Such a solution would have to be vetted against both the process and the spirit of the surveillance ordinance, as well as community and city priorities.
So what’s next? Herbold’s update concludes, “My office is currently working with Council Central Staff on follow-up questions for additional detail, and with community on next steps and potential solutions.”
(WSB photo)
HELICOPTER HELP WITH AUTO-THEFT ARREST: Thanks for the tips about Guardian One over Arbor Heights a short time ago. We headed that way to investigate – hadn’t heard anything on the scanner – and subsequently learned that they were helping track down a stolen car. The helicopter crew tweeted that it was found with a suspect “passed out inside.” This happened near 34th and 100th (photo above). ADDED 2:54 PM: Helicopter video, just made public:
ADMIRAL BREAK-IN: From John:
Our garage was broken into (Wednesday) afternoon around 3:20 pm. The padlock was cut off. We were home watching TV when they entered our back yard via the alley. They were preparing items to be picked up later as they stole the garage door opener. Hope they return soon so I don’t get tired of waiting for them. We are located on 41st Ave SW North of Admiral Way. Seattle Police were out and took fingerprints.
That’s not far from where a car was broken into a day later.
BICYCLE FOUND: Abandoned bicycles usually tend to have been stolen and dumped. Here’s one Karen just found on a dead-end West Seattle street:
Yours? Let us know.
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight – Southwest Precinct police are hoping you can help identify the person in the photos. They sent the photos and this explanation:
This suspect stole several valuable items from a locker at the LA Fitness at 3900 SW Alaska St on 3/15/2018 between the approximate times of noon to 1:30 pm. He subsequently went to Menashe and Sons Jewelers and used the victim’s credit card to purchase a $6,000 Rolex watch, followed by several other unauthorized transactions in the Tukwila/Southcenter area.
Any information on his identity can be directed to the SW Precinct Detective Unit at 206-233-2623.
The case numbers are #18-93279 and #18-94804. You can see two more photos here and here.
From last night’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting at the precinct:
(Precinct liaison Joe Everett, right, with precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis seated at left)
PRECINCT LIAISON EXPLAINS THE JUSTICE SYSTEM: Joe Everett, the Southwest Precinct‘s liaison from the City Attorney’s Office, gave an overview, starting with an explanation of his role – the face of a “long-term, proactive partnership.” The program started in 1995 “as a thing that happened downtown,” then over time “moved out to the precincts.” Until late last year, South and Southwest Precincts were handled by one liaison lawyer; now, each precinct has its own. Reducing crime, developing a more efficient/effective response to public-safety problems, improving communications are all part of what he’s supposed to help with. Also: “Providing real-time, proactive legal advice for officers … protecting SPD resources by working closely with other City agencies to address neighborhood problems before they become criminal problems.” Overall, “I like to think of myself as a problem solver,” he summarized.
Explaining the court system:
In West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
TRANSPORT TROUBLE: This is developing right now – and all we have so far is from the scanner: A Southwest Precinct officer taking a suspect to jail downtown radioed that his car was on fire. Near the I-5 James Street exit, he pulled over, and the fire was quickly extinguished, but it was reported that the fire might have been caused by the suspect pulling out wires from an in-car camera. Right now the James Street exit is still blocked while this situation is being handled. (Update – 4:53 pm, it’s reopening.)
LINCOLN PARK CAR BREAK-IN: A texter sent this photo, reporting that their car was broken into in the park’s north lot between 2 and 3 pm:
We know there was a police search in the park not long after that, but have not been able yet to find out whether it was related.
STROLLER DUMPED: Very early this morning, a texter reported, two people were seen hurriedly loading something into a car at 37th and Sullivan in Upper Fauntleroy, and leaving this stroller behind:
The texter says no one has come back to the area asking about a stroller – if you know whose it is, let us know.
By Linda Ball
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Due to technical difficulties, the scheduled speaker for Tuesday night’s meeting of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council wasn’t able to give his presentation on drug-abuse trends, but Captain Pierre Davis of the Southwest Precinct facilitated a lively conversation with 15 or so attendees.
Davis said police have been working closely with prosecutors to try to keep “prolific offenders” in jail and to get them the help they need if drug addiction is what drives their criminal activity.
He said SPD doesn’t always hear about things that have “gone down,” emphasizing that they do rely on community information. The role of social media and crime reporting brought more than a few laughs from the group.
Thanks for the tip! Someone just asked why the Seattle Police SWAT team is in Admiral. So we went to check it out and … it’s a training exercise.
They’re at the site in the 2700 block of California SW (across from Hiawatha) that’s set for demolition (permits pending) for the Admiral Station mixed-use project.
5:03 PM: Thanks for the tips about a police response on the east side of Westwood Village. It was wrapping up when we got there but the sergeant on scene was able to tell us that it wasn’t an incident response – they were there to arrest someone on a warrant. We don’t yet know who or what kind of warrant, but we’ll be watching the jail roster.
P.S. Crime concern/question? Tomorrow night is the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), 7 pm. The briefing/Q&A with local police precedes the featured guest – this month, find out about regional drug trends from Steve Freng of the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
ADDED TUESDAY: According to online records, the person arrested is a 19-year-old man wanted in connection with an assault case. He got out of jail less than three weeks ago after two and a half months behind bars.
FIRST REPORT, 4:18 PM: After-school activities like athletics were in shelter-in-place mode for a while at the Chief Sealth International High School/Denny International Middle School campus but it’s just ended. Police were searching in that area of Westwood, they tell us, because of a secondhand report that someone might have been seen in the area with a gun. Nobody found, and again, the shelter-in-place is over.
UPDATE, 7:35 PM: We’ve just received from Denny principal Jeff Clark the letter that he and Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer sent to families about the incident:
At approximately 3:30 pm today, two hours after Denny scholars had been released and one hour after Chief Sealth scholars had been released, we had a report of someone driving erratically on 27 Ave SW. School staff went up the hill to assess the situation. As a part of this disturbance, a car had hit a parked car. The police quickly arrived. As the police investigated, a report was made that someone had possibly seen a gun. As a safety precaution, the schools went into a shelter-in-place, securing the exterior doors and bringing in scholars who were still in the area. The shelter-in-place was lifted after the police had searched the neighborhood and deemed that the situation was now safe. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Two items in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
SOUTH DELRIDGE POLICE SEARCH: A man was stabbed in the hand in the 8800 block of Delridge Way SW this past hour and police say they know who they are looking for. The victim originally declined medical assistance, so what was briefly dispatched as an “assault with weapons” response quickly closed, while the search proceeded. No description info.
STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: Barbara reports, “Our 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Megacab was stolen out of our driveway in upper Fauntleroy probably early this morning. Think we heard it drive away at 5:00 a.m.” Here’s an image of it as shown on Google Maps:
If you see it, call 911. (added Sunday) The owner is “also offering a reward in the amount of $250 for information leading to the recovery of our truck.”
One reader report and three police reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
READER REPORT – HIT AND RUN: From a North Admiral resident, via e-mail:
I live on the 1900 block of 42nd Ave SW. Last night at about midnight, my neighbors and I heard a loud noise. We all did not notice anything wrong at that time. This morning when I took a look at my truck, I noticed some damage. The noise was from a car that hit my truck as it was parked in front of my house. I did not get a look at the car last night, but it left some parts on the street. From these parts it is apparent that the car was a 5 series BMW built between 2009 and 2017. It will have some damage to its right front bumper, headlight, and fender. My truck was pushed back 3 feet, into the curb and suffered damage to its right front bumper, headlight, and fender.
The Seattle Police were notified and came to asses the situation. They were very nice and will be on the lookout for the damaged 5 series BMW. If you happen to see a 2009-2017 5 series BMW with damage to its right front, please contact the SPD.
We’ve asked for the incident-report number, and will add it when available.
And from the Seattle Police report files, narratives are available for three recent West Seattle burglaries, which we’ve summarized as follows:
9400 BLOCK 11TH SW: Police were called by residents of a house who believe someone broke in while they were away for about four hours last Tuesday morning/afternoon. They didn’t notice anything wrong until that evening, when they realized someone had gone through their bedroom, taking items including jewelry and a case that contained cash and documens.
5600 BLOCK 37TH SW: Last Monday morning, someone renovating a vacant house on this block discovered that it had been broken into overnight. The burglar(s) took tools from multiple rooms. Police lifted fingerprint evidence from the window through which entry had been made.
9400 BLOCK 22ND SW: Also last Monday, a burglary was reported at a business in this block. “Numerous electronic items” were taken, the report says. The person reporting the break-in told police they suspected a former employee who had been fired.
(Police-report narratives are seldom available for more than a fraction of cases, so please let us know directly if you have something to report in Crime Watch so your neighbors around the peninsula know! Once it’s been reported to police, e-mail the info to editor@westseattleblog.com – but if it’s happening now or just happened, such as an active police search, text or call 206-293-6302 – thank you!)
8:57 PM: Thanks for the tips – police are investigating what, according to scanner traffic, is confirmed gunfire in High Point; they have found shell casings. We’re off to find out more.
9:09 PM: Police are on Lanham Place SW, just north of SW Graham, investigating, but not commenting.
10 PM: Police are still there, trying to make contact with someone possibly connected to the incident, and they will be blocking off streets nearby to keep people away until this is resolved.
10:35 PM: Not resolved yet. Meantime, we got a phone call from a neighbor who said she wanted to publicly thank police for their rapid response when she called after hearing the gunfire.
11:08 PM: Officers are still working strategically and deliberately to resolve the standoff.
MIDNIGHT: Standoff continues. We’re monitoring for the duration.
1:08 AM: Standoff continues.
2:13 AM: Five and a half hours now since the original call.
3:01 AM: As best we can tell from monitoring radio, this is wrapping up – an ambulance has been brought in to transport the person police had been working to take into custody. We’ll seek the official report for followup information later this morning.
ADDED 10:53 AM: That followup info just arrived via SPD Blotter:
A 26-year-old man is in custody and several guns have been recovered following an extended call Wednesday night into Thursday morning in the High Point neighborhood in West Seattle.
On March 7th, just before 9:00 pm, officers responded to several reports of shots fired in the 6000 block of Lanham Place Southwest. Officers located bullet damage to a parked vehicle in front of an apartment building. Additionally, it appeared that several items had been thrown from a third-floor apartment onto the ground below. As officers were containing the building, someone threw two handguns out of the window. Officers attempted to make contact with the occupants but to little avail. Officers believed the male suspect inside the apartment was in crisis.
After a prolonged standoff, officers obtained a search warrant for the apartment. With the assistance of SWAT, Gang Unit detectives, and K9, officers made entry into the apartment where the 26-year-old suspect was arrested without incident. Inside the apartment, several additional handgun magazines and ammunition was located and collected for evidence. One of the handguns that was tossed out the window was reported as stolen, while the other had been reported as missing.
The suspect, a convicted felon, was booked into the King County Jail for weapons violation. Detectives will handle the follow-up investigation.
We’ll be checking on the suspect’s background and will add more when we have i.
Until 7:30 pm, you’re invited to stop by Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle) and talk with city reps about Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s search for the next Seattle Police Chief. Just a few people were there when we stopped by in the early going, so your comment(s) will certainly be heard. You can read more about the search process here; there’s a quick online survey here; see who’s on the selection committee here.
If you have a gun in your residence, the Southwest Precinct has a free cable lock if you need one. Here’s the reminder sent today:
Due to recent incidents nationwide, the Seattle Police Department’s Southwest Precinct would like to remind our community about firearm safety, specifically when it comes to proper and safe storage of firearms and ammunition.
The SW Precinct has free firearm cable locks for interested community members! And we would also be happy to speak with you about firearm safety, safe storage, and general questions.
If you are interested in firearm cable locks, or in speaking with the Seattle Police Department about firearm safety, please contact Jennifer Danner, the SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, at Jennifer.Danner@seattle.gov or 206-256-6820.
P.S. If you missed her presentation on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design at this week’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting – we covered it here.
Want to learn the basics of deterring criminals from targeting your residence or business? The slide deck embedded above (or in PDF here) shows the highlights from Southwest Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner‘s presentation at last night’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network meeting.
As always, the meeting at the precinct was led by WSBWCN founders Karen Berge and Deborah Greer. Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis started with a briefing, saying property crime was front and center as always.
11:31 AM: Thanks for the tips about police activity outside the Highland Park 7-11. That helped us zero in on the source of some scanner traffic about an arrest – and now we’ve just obtained more information from SPD media-relations Det. Mark Jamieson (officers at the scene declined comment). He says the white Escalade in the photo was suspected in connection with a West Seattle burglary this morning and a non-West Seattle burglary yesterday (in South Precinct jurisdiction); an officer spotted it, called for backup, and a “felony stop” (which usually means guns drawn) was made in the 7-11 parking lot. They arrested a suspect and impounded the vehicle, pending a search warrant. More details are expected to be made public a bit later, police tell us, so look for another update.
ADDED 1:36 PM: SPD Blotter‘s report notes that an “observant neighbor” is to thank:
A neighbor called 911 Tuesday at 8:45 a.m. after she spotted a man attempting to break into a home in the 1200 block of SW Othello Street. The witness continued to update dispatchers as officers were responding to the home and described a white Cadillac Escalade driving away from the home.
The King County Sheriff’s Guardian One helicopter was in the area and spotted the SUV leaving the neighborhood. The pilot directed officers to the vehicle in the 1600 block of Southwest Holden Street. Seattle police officers took the 23-year-old into custody and have turned him over to burglary detectives. Detectives believe the suspect may be responsible for an additional burglary in the area this week. Detectives will book the suspect into King County Jail for investigation of burglary.
ADDED 2:58 PM: According to a separate online update from the South Precinct’s commander, the non-West Seattle burglary yesterday was in the 10100 block of Rainier Ave S. The victims, who were home, provided police with a plate number, so that’s how police knew what/who they were looking for.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
With the scheduled guest out sick, this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting was all about questions and concerns brought by those in attendance – from tagging to harassment to park problems.
First, the regular update from Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis, who as usual lauded community members for “seeing something and saying something.” Property crime remains West Seattle’s biggest problem – “always has been” – right now, all categories are spiking, and he says police suspect that’s because some “prolific offenders” are out of jail again. He vowed “to get back out there and … round them all up,” noting that police circulate weekly, sometimes daily bulletins about particular suspects, “especially if they have warrants.” If they suspect they know where specific offenders are re-offending, they “saturate the area.”
Sometimes they can get “more time for these individuals” if they can be linked to multiple crimes. “That can be the difference between having a safe and sane six or seven months and a chaotic six or seve months.” He said he knows car prowls for example “are a pain in the butt” and once they get people arrested, they see what they can do to get them kept in custody. He mentions the value of letters from individuals about defendants facing sentencing, saying those letters can be “hell on wheels,” impressing judges.
Then he opened the floor to questions.
Four reports/updates in West Seattle Crime Watch:
POLICE AT WESTWOOD VILLAGE: A few people asked us about a big response on the east side of the center earlier this afternoon. Police responded after a man called 911 to report that someone he didn’t know showed a gun and threatened him, in or near the WWV QFC. They eventually took a suspect into custody but were continuing to search for the gun. No injuries, no shots fired.
Hours earlier, not far away …
CONFIRMED GUNFIRE: If you thought you heard gunshots in the Westwood area late last night – you did.
We went to the area after hearing a snippet of scanner traffic mentioning “shell casings found at 26th/Trenton”; when we took the quick camera photo you see above, police were apparently finishing their search, because by the time we circled around to go into the lot and park, they had left. Today, we confirmed with SPD media relations that it originated as a report of gunfire heard; no injuries, no damage, shell casings found in the street and collected as evidence.
FOLLOWUP – BURGLARY SUSPECT CHARGED: Last week, police reported arresting a 36-year-old man found inside a vacant West Seattle house “staged for sale” at 36th SW/SW Morgan. They also reported finding a variety of car-prowl loot. We followed up on the person who was arrested and discovered that he had been arrested three other times since the start of the year but had not been charged in any of those cases. In this one, however, the suspect, 36-year-old Nicholas D. Watson, is now charged with one count of residential burglary and one count of second-degree vehicle prowling. Court documents confirm the house he was found in is the former longtime problem house that was sold last year and renovated, and say that the car-prowling incident happened February 11th in the 7000 block of 30th Place SW. They allege that Watson was found in the 36th SW house with a backpack full of items including some belonging to that car-prowl victim. He is reported to have told officers he tried to use 10 stolen cards to buy things but was unsuccessful. The police narrative in the court documents also says:
There were various other pieces of ID and credit cards belonging to people other than Watson that he admitted he took from various other car prowls in West Seattle. He could not remember specific car prowls and the names on the cards did not return to any Seattle Police reports. He stated he did not know them and knew he did not have permission to possess them.
The King County Jail Register shows Watson is still in custody.
Not far from where that burglary happened …
CAR PROWLERS: From Lindsey:
This was in the east alley at 37th Ave between Graham & Morgan. This happened in the early hours of this morning, 2/20, between 12:00 AM and 1:30 AM.
These two individuals walked up to my truck parked next to my detached garage, tried to open it, looked around, and left. They returned about an hour and a half later, forcefully broke into the truck camper, and stole a valuable Festool sander I use in my business as well as some miscellaneous small tools.
The victim says she already has received tips about the possible identity of one prowler from a neighborhood list. He has not been arrested or charged so far as we know, but if you have information, the police incident # is 18-063199.
REMINDER – CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL TONIGHT: One more reminder that the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, which regularly includes Q-and-A time with local police as well as updates on local trends and incidents, is at 7 pm tonight at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).
7:10 PM: Thanks for the tips about multiple police cars on 42nd SW between Junction 47 and Jefferson Square. Couldn’t tell from scanner traffic what was happening so we went over in hopes of asking. All the cars were empty and the officers were somewhere out of view. Next stop: The precinct, where we were able to find out that it was a “person in crisis” call. No related medical call so far, although this category of calls sometimes results in a direct call for a private ambulance.
7:53 PM: And one has indeed arrived to take the person for evaluation.
10:50 AM: Thanks for the tips and the texted photo. SW Genesee is blocked by police just west of Delridge. The 911 log shows a medical call there just after 9 am; we’re on the way to find out more.
11:10 AM: The police here are from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad. The medical call was from the incident – a female pedestrian hit by a driver on Genesee at 26th and taken to Harborview.
11:20 AM: Police here also tell us it’s a DUI investigation.
A ReachNow car still on the scene has visible driver-side windshield damage.
11:56 AM: SFD says the victim is an “adult female with serious injuries.”
1:04 PM: Still blocked off with investigators working.
2:19 PM: SDOT has since tweeted that the street is open again.
ADDED TUESDAY NIGHT: The 30-year-old suspect got out of jail this evening; the register says it was a “conditional release.”
Thanks for the tip about what looked like a major police response at a home on SW Portland west of California SW. We went over to check and found out that the reason we hadn’t heard anything was that it’s not a Seattle Police response – these are Tacoma Police officers, including a K-9 team. They would tell us only that they’re at the house serving a warrant.
7:23 PM: Seattle Police are investigating a shooting at 14th Avenue S. and S. Trenton in South Park. They say one victim has been rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and that there is no suspect in custody yet. No other official details except that an officer who left a meeting we’re covering to go to the scene said that it involved “youth in our community.”
7:29 PM: Metro says Route 132 is rerouted off 14th Ave. S. (which is an arterial) because of this.
9:17 PM: 14th Avenue South is still blocked at the scene. SPD now says the victim is 16 years old and that he has a gunshot wound to the head, and that gang detectives are investigating, “processing the scene and interviewing potential witnesses.” If you have any information, call 911.
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