West Seattle, Washington
27 Sunday
Story by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Westwood neighbors and senior residents of Village Green West Seattle (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor) gathered on Wednesday night for a well-attended community-safety conversation with Seattle Police, to share thoughts and concerns as it relates to challenges with crime and recurring problematic activity in the area.
Residents of the Village Green community, who live across the street from Westwood Village and near Roxhill Park and a Metro transit center, shared their own observations and reports of individuals and groups repeatedly engaging in suspicious and criminal activity nearby. This has included having people coming onto the property, openly using drugs and other criminal activity, being loud and threatening, and gathering/camping in the park and starting fires, among other reports. Neighbors and residents also expressed concerns with shootings in the area, and ongoing crime at Westwood’s stores.
The evening’s featured guest was SPD crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite from the Southwest Precinct, along with a panel that included community liaison officer German Barreto, crime prevention specialist Matt Brown, and community service officers Jamie Heslin and Helene Masyr. The officers acknowledge the recurring issues and challenges with criminal and nuisance activity in the area, and encouraged neighbors to continue to stay involved and to report any troubling activity they see, to help SPD respond accordingly.
After brief opening remarks by Eva Thomas, executive director of Village Green, Satterwhite told residents and neighbors that for her and her colleagues, their goal is “to help you feel safe, and to help you know what to do if you don’t feel safe.” She added that she appreciated the invitation, having been to Village Green “5 or 6 times previously” and reiterating that she wants to be a direct-line resource for neighbors, saying “if you take nothing else away from tonight, at least take my business card!” and to contact her with any questions or ongoing concerns. Her contact information is Je******************@*****le.gov and 206-471-2849.
While the evening featured serious stories and frustrations, attendees also noted the strong spirit of community and gratitude for law enforcement, and even a moment of levity during Satterwhite’s remarks about SPD stepping up their recruitment efforts for new officers, saying that “if you know anyone who would like to apply, and can pass the exams, please do — there’s no age limit!” which brought big laughs in the room full of Village Green’s senior residents.
Here’s a summary of discussions and remarks from the meeting:
Read MoreAfter several 911 calls about suspected gunfire, police just told dispatch they’ve found “rounds” at 29th/Brandon. No reports of injuries.
Two incidents at West Seattle’s biggest parks:
ALKI ARREST: Police arrested a 30-year-old man early today and explained the incident via SPD Blotter:
At about 6:12 a.m., dispatchers received a report of a man with a weapon harassing females near Alki Avenue Southwest and 63rd Avenue Southwest. Officers responded and found a man matching the caller’s description walking south on Alki Avenue Southwest. Police detained him, identified him as the suspect, and took him into custody. Officers recovered the knife at the scene.
A 48-year-old woman told police the suspect had approached her earlier near the Alki Bathhouse while she walked her dog. She said he shouted something unintelligible and growled at her before walking away when she told him to back off. Police said the man later approached a 16-year-old and two 17-year-old girls, yelling at them, brandishing a fixed-blade knife, and making disturbing comments about sexual assault and the devil. The girls stepped back to distance themselves, and a witness intervened before the suspect walked away. No one was injured during the incident. Officers booked the man into King County Jail for investigation of malicious harassment.
Reminder, the Alki Community Council will focus on beach safety at its meeting tomorrow night, 6:30 pm at Alki Bathhouse, as previewed here.
LINCOLN PARK ARREST: A reader asked about a police response in the Lincoln Park north lot around dusk last night. We requested the report narrative today. The report says two officers noticed a “suspicious vehicle” – a Hyundai – in the park lot. Two people appeared to be asleep inside; ignition damage was visible, along with a beer can and narcotics pipe. The two, a man and woman, were awakened; the driver turned out to have a suspended license out of Burien, and showed signs of impairment, according to the report. Police had trouble determining the car’s status; it wasn’t reported stolen, and the driver claimed he had bought it about a week ago. It was registered to someone in Puyallup wh told them by phone that he had sold it months ago, but the driver found in it at Lincoln Park wasn’t that person. Police eventually booked the driver for investigation of DUI. The woman was not suspected of any crime – she told police the man had picked her up off the street and invited her “to party” – and was released. He, meantime, is still in jail.
11:38 AM: As the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything, and this is the first time we’ve received an announcement like this for publication. Sent by Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite:
The SPD Training Unit will be hosting a DUI Green Lab on Friday, May 9th.
We are looking for volunteers (Age 21 and over) to consume marijuana and allow Officers to practice Standard Field Sobriety Tests on them.
This is a great opportunity for Officers to learn from consumers in a controlled environment; and for the volunteers to learn about their own tolerances, and learn about the testing process for DUIs.
Volunteers will consume marijuana in whatever form they prefer (edibles, vape, smoking, etc.) and will be paired up with an Officer in the class.
The Officer will observe how the volunteer’s impairment changes over time and the Officer will run some basic tests on the volunteer, to simulate DUI testing.
The volunteers would be asked to arrive at our SPD Training Facility in SODO at approximately 9:30am, and the training should be finished by about 4pm.
We ask the volunteers to provide their own product (with receipts, if possible).
We will provide lunch and snacks.
We also ask the volunteers not to drive to or from the training, but we can provide transportation, if necessary.
Anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact me via email (Je******************@*****le.gov) and/or via text 206-471-2849.
The training is relevant because an increasing number of DUIs involve this type of impairment.
5:04 PM: Jennifer says the volunteer spots are all full, adding, “Thank you, West Seattle!”
(WSB file photo, SPD at Alki on a summer night)
As we’ve reported, the city is moving toward an earlier closing time for Alki Beach Park this spring/summer – and beyond. But what else is planned to address safety concerns as warmer weather brings more people to the regionally renowned beach? The Alki Community Council invites you to this Thursday’s monthly gathering, this time at Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki), to hear from and talk with a panel of people working on the issue. Here’s the ACC announcement:
Reminder: Alki Community Council Meeting – Thursday, April 17th
Special Summer Safety Prep Meeting* New Location: Alki Bathhouse
* New Start: 6:30-8 pm (In-person only)We’re switching things up this month as we take it to the beach—right where it matters most. Our meeting at Alki Bathhouse is all about the beach: how we can protect it, and the people who live and visit here.
As we prepare for a busy summer with environmental and ongoing safety concerns—amid a 300+ officer shortage—you’ll hear directly from those on the front lines of guardianship of both people and our parks.
What makes this meeting special? We’re bringing together voices from 8th grade changemakers to top city leaders—all committed to keeping Alki safe, clean, and cared for.
Speaker Lineup:
Explorer West Middle School 8th Graders – Youth-led action item.
Captain Krista Bair, SPD SW Precinct commander
Jon Jainga, Seattle Parks Security & Emergency Mgmt.
Tracy Cramer, SPU Clean City / Litter Abatement
Seattle Park Rangers
Dave Delgado, Seal Sitters –– Wildlife crisis responseBring your questions and concerns, and join us to help keep the place we love safe and beautiful.
11:49 PM TUESDAY: For the second time in three nights, police are investigating gunfire reported in North Delridge. This time they got reports of gunfire outside the Youngstown Flats apartment complex at 4040 26th SW. So far officers report finding one bullet. Someone might have been injured but taken to a hospital before authorities arrived – dispatch told police one caller claimed someone had been hit, and though they didn’t find anyone at the scene, now they’ve learned a gunshot victim has arrived at Harborview Medical Center. (Added: An officer went to the hospital and later told dispatch it was indeed related. We hope to find out more later this morning.)
NOON WEDNESDAY: SPD tells us the report on this incident isn’t complete so they cannot provide additional information yet.
4:44 PM WEDNESDAY: We checked back and now have the redacted narrative:
On 04/01/2025 at approximately 2331 hours, I was dispatched to a 911 call of a SHOTS fired call at [4000 BLK] 26 AV SW.
Call on screen read: “1 MIN AGO, IN THE OLD BARTELLS PARKING LOT, 10 SHOTS HEARD, ONE VEH SPED OFF, 5 TEENS IN THE PARKING LOT, BELLIGERENT”
Upon arrival, one of the witnesses (XXXX XXXX) was contacted by a backing officer. XXXX began relating that he was smoking a cigarette outside of his apartment at [4000 BLK] 26 AV SW, when he heard a commotion Northeast of his location at a parking lot north of his apartment complex. XXXX continued relating that there was a verbal dispute between two juvenile subjects outside of a vehicle that had its doors open, and another female was trying to intervene from inside the car.
XXXX related that then ONE shot was discharged and another 911 caller related [hearing] “Take me to the hospital, I just got shot.” Both subjects that were arguing, entered the same vehicle (described as Gold/Beige in color Older model Sedan with possible suspension issues) and they fled the location toward DELRIDGE WY.
DISPATCH advised that a gunshot wound victim had been dropped off at HMC. Another backing unit was requested to respond to the location to interview the victim.
GVRU was contacted to screen the call and requested officers to process the scene. Only ONE UNSPENT round was located in the parking lot, along with an empty can of liquor. Both of these items were collected and entered into evidence.
GVRU is the Gun Violence Reduction Unit. The report had no information on the shooting victim or their condition.
9:17 PM: Police tell dispatch they are finding “shell casings all over” the 5200 block of 26th SW, after dozens of 911 calls reporting gunfire. No word of injuries or damage so far. Police are closing parts of 26th and Brandon in the area while they investigate.
9:21 PM: Police have now heard from a resident reporting some kind of bullet damage on 25th SW, and one officer told dispatch this may have followed a “large group attending some kind of vigil.” … A second residence and a vehicle are reported to have bullet damage too.
10:32 PM: And more reports of damage (in comments below, too).
12:28 AM: More than three hours after the gunfire, police are wrapping up evidence collection and will be taking down the crime-scene tape and reopening the streets.
7:26 AM: Here’s what SPD just posted:
Seattle police detectives are investigating a shooting shortly after 9 p.m. last night in West Seattle.
On [March] 30, patrol officers responded to multiple reports of shots fired and property damage near 26th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Brandon Street. When police arrived, all involved parties left the area. They did not locate any victims with injuries, no suspects, and no cooperative witnesses.
Officers determined that a large crowd of people were attending a vigil, likely for one of the recent South Seattle homicide victims earlier in the morning. Responding officers located over 100 fired rounds spanning several blocks around the vigil. There was bullet damage to a nearby RV trailer, a house, and they found a damaged, abandoned vehicle.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation. Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit responded to process the scene.
If anyone has any information, please call 911, or the SPD Violent Crimes Tipline at 206-233-5000. Incident Number: 2025-85095
ADDED 11:28 AM: An area resident sent us audio and photos:
Below is the spot where the vigil was being held:
Another photo shows that if you look at the grouping of candles from above, the red ones form “24” and the white ones form four letters starting with KAY. If anyone else has photos etc. to add, you can do so anonymously and without address specifics – we*************@***il.com – thank you.
1:56 PM: At least one commenter suggested seeking comment from City Councilmember Rob Saka, who lives in the area and who is vice chair of the council’s Public Safety Committee. Here’s what he told us:
On Sunday night my family and West Seattle neighbors experienced a terrifying incident. Over a hundred gunshot rounds were fired just outside of my home – practically in my backyard. My 10-year-old daughter was awake at the time and heard everything. After the shooting, I had to wake up my two youngest children for the sole purpose of ensuring that they were safe. It has left my family, my neighbors in Delridge, and many people across our broader West Seattle community feeling traumatized.
No one in Seattle should have to be exposed to this. The sense of safety and peace in our homes and neighborhoods is a fundamental right, and what occurred last night is simply unacceptable.
I want to assure my constituents that I am working closely with the Seattle Police Department as they investigate this incident.
While I’m grateful for the swift response of our Seattle Police officers, it’s clear that we need to do more. My constituents are fed up with the rampant crime and gun violence throughout the city. Certain communities, such as Delridge, continue to bear the brunt of Seattle’s gun violence crisis.
This incident underscores the urgent need for continued and intensified efforts to address gun violence and enhance public safety across our city. I have proposed a public safety resolution up for a vote by the full Council tomorrow, and the Council is also considering a bill to regulate after-hour activities at unregulated clubs that have been sites of regular shootings and violence.
Moving forward, my focus remains on supporting the community and working collaboratively with first responders, local stakeholders, and city leaders to find meaningful solutions that will prevent such incidents from happening again and again.
If you have any information about this incident, I strongly encourage you to call 911, or immediately contact the SPD Violent Crimes Tipline at 206-233-5000.
11:37 AM: The doors are open at a first-of-its-kind event inside the biggest vacant spot at Westwood Village (former Bed Bath Beyond/Spirit Halloween) – a Resource Fair organized by Seattle Police, primarily their Community Service Officer team. They have gathered more than 40 organizations, agencies, and other participants here, until 3 pm; we obtained and published this full list last night. We’ll add more info when back at HQ.
ADDED 12:15 PM: If you approach from the southwest WWV parking lot, you’ll see the Care-A-Van, but most of the medical services – blood pressure/blood sugar check, sign up for vaccinations, etc. – are provided inside. And just inside the main entrance, you can meet some of the SPD CSOs making this happen:
CSOs are non-enforcement, non-sworn officers, and connecting people with resources is what they’re all about. In our photo are CSOs Heslin, Phelps, and Masyr. We walked the aisles of tables and it’s truly a wide array of possibilities (even info on how to get free vaccinations for pets). We also learned about some agencies/organizations we’d never heard of before. Here’s one example – they’re at the table where you can get free Narcan, no questions asked, so you can have it on hand in case you encounter someone overdosing:
This table answers the question a commenter asked after one of our previews – “what service is the Medical Examiner’s Office going to offer?” In short, this is one way to try to reduce the need for the ME’s main job (investigating deaths). At left is Emily Dalgo, coordinator of the ME’s Overdose Fatality Review (based on a national model) team. People are dying of overdoses every day, and OFR talks about strategies to fight that. One is community outreach, and that’s why she’s at the Resource Fair, along with volunteers from the Public Health Reserve Corps (we hadn’t heard of that either).
Other people we talked to included a rep from State Labor and Industries, offering lots of info about workers’ rights. Even if you don’t think you need “resources,” this is an interesting educational event, again, continuing until 3 pm.
As noted this afternoon in updates on our original report, there have been two developments today relating to Wednesday’s incident in which police shot and killed a man outside the Southwest Precinct. First, in line with department policy, as reiterated by Police Chief Shon Barnes in his briefing at the scene, SPD has released some of the video from the incident (warning, graphic):
After an onscreen-text introduction, video from outside the precinct lot shows the man driving this vehicle up to a Home Depot parking space outside the precinct’s north/west lot.
(WSB photo, Wednesday)
He is seen getting out and climbing the fence to get into the lot, where department vehicles are kept. From there, the SPD edited video switches to officers’ body-worn cameras, as they encounter the man, tell him to leave the lot; he walks away from them for a while, even up to a gate, then turns to face their way. They repeatedly tell him to drop the knife; then he starts moving toward them, picking up speed at one point, and that’s when one officer apparently fires a “less than lethal” weapon shortly before another fires his gun. The video also shows what police say is the knife the man had.
Meantime, as noted earlier in an update to our original report, the man was identified this afternoon by the King County Medical Examiner as 36-year-old Urban A. Seay. His cause of death is listed as “multiple gunshot wounds” and ruled “homicide” (which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s been decreed a crime, pending further investigation, but it means a person has been killed by someone else). And in the post accompanying the video, SPD has identified the officer who killed him, saying that “Kyle Hay, 11 years of service, has been placed on paid administrative leave following this incident, which is standard procedure.” SPD says its investigation continues, and also included a reminder of resources for those with thoughts of self-harm, including the 988 hotline.
ADDED: For those interested in data, we found SPD’s dashboard here for data about past incidents in which officers shot people.
12:23 PM: Developing story at the Southwest Precinct: According to emergency radio, officers were dealing with a man armed with a knife in the Southwest Precinct lot, after a report of a possibly suicidal man in the area. They were trying to get the man under control with a non-lethal “40,” but reported that he continued to approach them with the knife, and they shot him, calling “officer-involved shooting” over the air. Medics are on their way.
(Added: WSB photos)
12:28 PM: Police told dispatch that no officers are hurt. … Over SFD radio, responders describe the man who was shot as about 30 years old, with three gunshot wounds, now getting CPR.
12:33 PM: Officers have told dispatch that SW Webster is being blocked at Delridge (that’s the main street for access to the precinct).
12:45 PM: WSB’s Anne Higuera at the scene reports that the medic unit with the man who was shot has left, with lights but not a siren. The perimeter to keep media and community members has been moved further back, too.
12:59 PM: We’ve confirmed that new Police Chief Shon Barnes has arrived at the scene. He was just at thr precinct last night for what turned out to be his first Seattle community meeting (WSB coverage here).
1:33 PM: In our photo above are CSI detectives who just arrived at the scene. A few moments after our photo, they put up a tarp blocking that view. No confirmation yet of whether the man survived – nor whether he was indeed in the medic unit that left. SPD promises an eventual media briefing at the scene.
2:13 PM: The chief has just finished briefing media. He says the man has died. We’ll add the briefing video upon return to HQ.
2:40 PM: Above is our video of Chief Barnes’s seven-minute briefing, including Q&A (added: he confirmed, in response to our question, that this happened in the secure area of the precinct lot, where the department vehicles are parked, but didn’t know how the man got in). The only other notable update besides the confirmation that the man was killed is that the shots were fired by one officer. (SPD also has posted to its Blotter website, noting something else the chief said, that per department policy, video from the incident will be released within 72 hours.)
4:11 PM: A reader called to point out that SW Webster is still closed at Delridge.
ADDED 3:38 PM FRIDAY: The King County Medical Examiner identifies the man who was killed as 36-year-old Urban A. Seay. Cause of death is listed as “multiple gunshot wounds” and ruled “homicide” (which means a person was killed, not necessarily that it was decreed a crime).
4:39 PM FRIDAY: SPD meantime has released video from the incident. Here’s the direct link; we’re also writing a separate story.
(WSB photos by Dave Gershgorn)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Standing in front of a packed community room at the Southwest Precinct tonight, Shon Barnes revealed that it was his first community meeting since becoming Seattle Police Chief a month and a half ago.
He also revealed a working title for the style of crimefighting and crime prevention he intends his department to practice:”Seattle-Centric Policing.”
It’s a cup-half-full sort of style – he closed by saying that he doesn’t think about SPD being hundreds of officers short, but rather “1,000 officers strong.” Here’s our video of his entire speech:
Barnes began by introducing himself as a former public-school teacher (US history and world civilization for high-school students). “I felt like that was my calling.”
His path into law enforcement began when he lost a star student to gun violence – not as a victim, but as a perpetrator. In trying to debrief what had happened, Barnes said, a school resource officer suggested he should go into police work. Inspired by the community-policing emphasis in Greensboro, North Carolina, he moved there and worked there for 20 years, then to Chicago to work in “civil oversight,” and then he was recruited for the job in Madison, Wisconsin, where he had been working for four years when recruited to come here, getting a call from a longtime friend, former SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole.
In considering Seattle, Barnes said, he looked at “do they believe in community, are they resilient, what kind of support would I get from the mayor and council?” He was impressed with the answers, and even though he was “one year from retiring,” he took the leap. “This is where I want to end my career.”
He laid out priorities, while insisting “these are not the chief’s priorities, they are the department’s priorities”: Crime prevention, community engagement, retention/recruitment topped the list. (He said he’s always recruiting, everywhere he goes. And he noted that the first officer he swore in here was a transfer from Madison.) He said he’s insistent on continuous improvement, “every single day getting better and better.”
His “Seattle-Centric” concept seems to be deeply local-focused – he gave an example of fighting the Kia/Hyundai thefts in Madison by setting up a “crime-pattern tracker,” triggering a different kind of response if four cars were stolen in 10 days within a half-mile area. Understanding how crime “operates” helps police “understand significant incidents a little better.”
Precinct captains are going to be “very very important in Seattle-Centric Policing,” he said, with a nod to Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair (photo above; she spoke earlier in the meeting, and we’ll have that information later in this report).
Then he took questions. We recorded that separately:
First question, from Alki Community Council president Charlotte Starck (photo below)\, was about dealing with juvenile offenders.
Barnes said “we have to be mindful” of the fact that sometimes incarceration can do more harm than good. Second question, staffing: Barnes said it was improving, with 20 new officers in the academy now and 15 in the next class. He also said he’d like to make “some changes” in the recruiting process but he has to “consult with the union contract” first. Academy capacity is no longer a problem, though, Barnes said, noting he’s been told “SPD is a priority” at the academy. Next question was about traffic enforcement, particularly speeding; Capt. Bair spoke extensively about street concerns and the fact there is some traffic enforcement going on between dispatches.
Rebuilding trust with police was at the heart of a comment made by an attendee from South Park, where people remain wary about any relationship between SPD and ICE; Barnes declared that there is none, and mentioned his recently posted statement to that effect. Building trust “is like building a sandcastle 1 grain at a time,” he said.
On the flip side, another attendee wanted to know about showing appreciation. “Can we bring cookies?” Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite said any “donations” can be made through her. The wide-ranging questions and comments continued, fron where officers live – one who lives in Delridge said the SW Precinct has more officers “who live where they work” than others – to gratitude for the data SPD puts on line.
Speaking of data, earlier in the meeting, Capt. Bair recounted precinct-wide crime stats as part of her opening remarks to and about the newly relaunched group:
*Crimes against people (assault, for example) are down, 75 so far this year compared to one year earlier
*Homicides are down 100 percent, since West Seattle/South Park have had none so far, compared to one by this time in 2-24
*Robberies down, 26 year to date compared to 31
*Aggravated assaults, 41 compared to 58
*Property crimes such as arson have doubled – 2 compared to 1
*Burglaries are down, 117 compared to 189
*Motor-vehicle thefts are down, 132 compared to 21
*Confirmed gunfire (the subject of weekly SPD commander meetings, she noted) is down, 19 this year, 25 last year
*One category that’s up – theft “and all larceny,” 431 vs. 411, though Bair said, “we are doing really good stuff at Westwood Village, working with the loss-prevention group.”
Also from the meeting:
PRECINCT ADVISORY COUNCIL’S NEW STRUCTURE: Ella McRae, community builder in High Point, is the new community co-chair. Members, as introduced during the meeting, are mostly leaders or members of established community groups in West Seattle and South Park (which have dwihdled in number in recent years, as some disbanded without new leadership to carry the torch, though a few have found it and gained new energy and momentum). They hope the group will be able to meet quarterly.
EVENTS COMING UP: Westwood Village Resource Fair 11 am-3 pm Saturday in the ex-Bed Bath Beyond, with more than 40 service providers participating; Coffee with a Cop at High Point QED Coffee 10-noon Monday; Drug Take-Back Day at the precinct, 10 am-2 pm Saturday, April 26.
For those who were wondering: A briefly big “water rescue response” at Don Armeni Boat Ramp this morning turned out to be a false alarm of sorts. SFD and SPD converged on the park around 6:15 am to check out a possible car in the water about 50 yards out. According to incident audio, divers/swimmers arrived, went into the water, and discovered it was not a car, but instead a rental scooter “with all its lights on.”
10:45 AM: Thanks to the reader who sent that photo showing part of a large police response near 26th/Juneau. Police are trying to arrest a suspect who’s believed to be inside a residence. The person may be armed so they called in SWAT officers and negotiators. We’re still tracking down the origin of the call. Updates to come.
10:56 AM: Officers say the suspect is in custody.
NOON: We asked SPD how this started; their response, “The incident started as a domestic violence stalking disturbance call – incident number 25-67540 (started at 8:09 a.m., in the 1500 Block of 4th Avenue South). The suspect was located in the 5600 block of 26th Avenue Southwest. The suspect was taken into custody (25-67617) for DV felony harassment.”
Two cases of deliberately set fires:
(Monday photo by Tim Durkan)
SOUTH DELRIDGE FIRE: As noted in an update earlier on our coverage of Monday afternoon’s fire at a vacant house near 16th/Barton, SFD ruled it was deliberately set, and said they had referred the case to police. We subsequently followed up with SPD; they had not yet assigned the case to a detective. If you have any information, the case number is 25-64894.
STUDENT SUSPECTED OF FIRE-SETTING: SPD released this incident summary tonight:
At 1324 hours, a group of high-school students were on a tour of a community college when unidentified students dared another student to set fire to something in an auditorium. The suspect waited until the auditorium was empty and then proceeded to set fire to a flag/pole. Campus staff smelled the smoke and responded. Security extinguished the fire with no further property damage beyond the lingering smell of smoke and fire extinguisher chemical. The suspect was identified and later released to a parent. ABS was advised of the incident.
According to archived emergency-radio audio, two SFD units were dispatched at 1:20 pm to Olympic Hall on the south end of the South Seattle College campus, and the fire was out before their arrival, so they left quickly.
For one day later this month, the vacant ex-Bed Bath and Beyond/Spirit Halloween space at Westwood Village will have a new use: Two weeks from today, on Saturday, March 22, that space will be home to a big resource fair meant to connect people with services to improve their lives. Here’s the official flyer, sent to us by Seattle Police Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite:
No pre-registration requested – just show up between 11 am and 3 pm March 22.
(Seattle Police Department-provided photo from January)
New Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes will make his first public community-meeting appearance in West Seattle two weeks from tonight. The Southwest Precinct is relaunching its Precinct Advisory Council, a group that will now have open-to-all meetings, unlike its previous incarnation. First one will be at 6:30 pm Tuesday, March 18; the precinct’s Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite says that in addition to a speech and Q&A with Chief Barnes, “We will be introducing our new SWPAC Community Chairperson, and our SWPAC Community Leads, representing our various neighborhoods and community organizations.” This will be in the community room on the west side of the precinct, off the public parking lot, 2300 SW Webster.
5:34 PM: If you’re noticing the emergency-response boats off Beach Drive north of Lowman Beach, here’s what it’s about: SPD and Coast Guard crews are helping a sailboat that needs assistance. No injuries reported, so there’s no shoreside response at this point (aside from SPD, which has since cleared).
7:08 PM: Thanks to James Bratsanos for the photo added above.
(Added: Photo sent by Jason)
ORIGINAL REPORT, EARLY THURSDAY: Big police response to the 3200 block of SW Avalon Way, and some are asking about it, so here’s what we know so far: The call was for some kind of disturbance in a residential unit; police who got there called for backup, and that led to a “help the officer” dispatch, which more or less means everyone drops what they’re doing and rushes that way. The officers on scene quickly got somebody into custody and radioed that they were “under control” so that canceled the backup dispatch. At least two people are reported to be injured, though, from whatever was happening that led to police being called in the first place, so SFD is responding for medical assistance.
UPDATE ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: We obtained the report narrative from SPD; here’s our summary of what it says happened:
The person who called 911 “heard a female yelling for assistance and a male yelling for her to get out,”then yelling ‘please stop,’ saying the door handle is broken and she can’t get out.” Somebody else called; they also heard breaking glass. Arriving officers also heard “multiple people screaming and breaking glass.” Police tried to get into the unit where all this was happening but were told they’d have to break the door down, which they did. The people they found in the apartment included a man, woman, and “two small children.” Police talked to people to try to figure out what had happened; it started with two other people coming over for a barbecue. Later some sort of misunderstanding erupted and that’s when the yelling started. Jealousy-related accusations were involved. People were told to leave, but the door handle stuck and they couldn’t, so that’s why window-breaking ensued. Two people jumped out of the apartment and down two floors to get away. Due to redactions in the narrative, it’s not clear who did what to who, but one person was arrested for investigation of assault, harassment, and property damage. We don’t have their name so we can’t check their status.
(Added: WSB photo)
12:04 PM: Police are at 15th/Cambridge [map] after a 911 call from someone who thought they heard gunfire. An officer has just told dispatch they’ve confirmed it, finding “a couple casings” in the intersection. No injuries reported so far.
12:09 PM: While they’re not certain it’s related, police told dispatch a neighbor heard “an argument between a male and female” before the gunshots. No description(s).
12:34 PM: Added photo while at the scene. The casings are actually on 15th just south of the intersection.
Back on Tuesday morning, a multi-agency law-enforcement operation converged on a house in the 8800 block of 38th SW in Upper Fauntleroy, with a helicopter circling above. Though marked Seattle Police cars were part of it, SPD had no information to provide, and King County Sheriff’s Office told us the helicopter wasn’t theirs (we asked because the KCSO helicopter Guardian One is the main helicopter supporting local law-enforcement agencies). We also inquired with the Washington State Patrol, as the last vehicles leaving the scene included one with their logo. Today WSP answered our inquiry by saying the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was the lead agency. We subsequently contacted the local DEA to ask what they could tell us; the entirety of their reply – “It is part of an ongoing DEA narcotics investigation.”
6:34 AM: Thanks for the tips. A helicopter’s been over Gatewood/Fauntleroy a while, but not showing on radar. A reader who heard what sounded like a flashbang said 911 told them there’s a warrant service in the vicinity. We’re working to find out more.
6:41 AM: Multiple texters say they’re seeing police on the ground at a location in Upper Fauntleroy.
7:29 AM: Multiple readers report the location is on 38th SW between Trenton and Henderson. We went through a short time ago and noticed SPD and WSP vehicles still in the vicinity, at the Trenton end.
9:26 AM: SPD’s media office says it has no information on the operation, at least so far. We’re trying other agencies too, and will update here if/when we find out anything.
11:25 AM: Still trying – warrant operations tend to be notoriously difficult to get information about, until/unless court cases result. King County Sheriff’s Office says the helicopter was NOT Guardian One, which often supports other law-enforcement agencies including SPD, but, a KCSO spokesperson tells us, was not flying in support of anything this morning.
5:05 PM: The business day has ended without any additional information emerging; the State Patrol neither responded to nor acknowledged our inquiry. So it’s a mystery for now, but we’re not giving up.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: The WSP tells us this was a DEA-led operation. We have an inquiry out to the local DEO office to see if they are able to tell us anything more.
5:27 PM TUESDAY: Thanks to the multiple readers who have forwarded this announcement sent to Chief Sealth International High School families:
Dear Chief Sealth International families and staff,
We are writing to share some important personnel information with you.
At approximately 3 a.m. Sunday, Principal Ray Garcia-Morales was arrested by the Seattle Police Department for driving under the influence and reckless endangerment. He was immediately placed on administrative leave until further notice.
According to court records, no charges were filed, and the case has been closed. As this is a personnel issue, further details are confidential to protect privacy rights.
Assistant Principal Hope Perry will be stepping in to serve in his absence. Please feel free to reach out to her with school-related questions.
As other questions arise concerning this sensitive matter, please send them to pu***********@************ls.org.
Sincerely,
Bev Redmond
Chief of Staff
Seattle Public Schools
Looking at the case documents, the incident number matches the one in the West Seattle Bridge flipped-car crash we reported early Sunday.
(SDOT camera image, early Sunday)
We had updated the story yesterday when police confirmed the driver was arrested for DUI and reckless endangerment – and as we finished writing this story, SPD confirmed the 47-year-old Garcia-Morales was that driver. Jail records say he was booked into jail Sunday morning and released Monday evening. The case documents note that the City Attorney’s Office declined to file charges now but could still in the future.
ADDED 11:50 AM WEDNESDAY: The documents that were available online when we first got word of this Tuesday evening did not include report narrative. Some readers have since mentioned a citywide outlet that apparently had word of the case earlier, including the police-report narrative suggesting this was more than just a crash case. Report narratives aren’t available online but SPD provides some at reporters’ request, and we were able to obtain this one this morning.
The officer writing the report says they found “Suspect 1” standing next to the overturned Toyota Highlander and writes (exact quote from what SPD provided us):
Suspect 1 stated that he was driving and took the turn too fast. Suspect 1 denied anyone else being in the vehicle, and denied drinking alcohol. I noticed Suspect 1’s eyes were bloodshot.
When Officers told Suspect 1 that 911 callers stated they saw a female exit and run away from the vehicle after the collision, Suspect 1 denied any knowledge of anyone else being in the vehicle. Suspect 1 denied medical aid, officers noticed an abrasion on the left side of Suspect 1’s neck traveling from his neck to his head above his ear.
Officers noticed that Suspect 1 was a large male, and that the drivers seat was pushed so far forward, that it would be unreasonable for Suspect 1 to fit in the drivers seat. Additionally the drivers seatbelt was locked from the collision, and the passengers seatbelt was fully redacted into the seatbelt device.Due to the above factors, Officers believed that Suspect 1 was not driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, and was released with a business card.
Officer Gregory and I decided to go to the registered owner’s address (redacted) to potentially locate the driver and/or owner. The registered owner of the Toyota was listed as VICTIM.
Upon arrival of the listed registered owners address, we were allowed into the residence by Victim, we verified her identity at the residence, by name and date of birth. Victim stated her and Suspect 1 were at a party in Capitol Hill where Suspect 1 was drinking alcohol, and that she noticed Suspect 1 falling asleep, so she suggested they go home. Victim stated this upset Suspect 1, who began calling Victim a “b—h”.
Suspect 1 got in the drivers seat and drove Victim after the party in Capitol Hill. Victim video tapped Suspect 1 driving because she was afraid of him. This was later verified and time stamped at 23:41, Victim was sent an axon link for the video. Before they got onto I-5 they switched seats.
At the listed location of the crash, Suspect 1 opened the passenger side door, Suspect 1 told Victim “do you wanna die”, then Suspect 1 grabbed and pulled the steering wheel causing the Toyota to overturn. Victim also stated that Suspect 1 has abused animals in the past.
Victim stated she fled the scene because she was scared of Suspect 1. Victim stated that Suspect 1 has been verbally abusive in the past, and has abused the family dog before, and that there was a prior incident back in 2017-18 between them.
The rest of the narrative says Garcia-Morales was arrested at a relative’s house in Burien, on suspicion of reckless endangerment, because of what the victim told them. They added DUI to the investigation because of the victim’s aforementioned video showing him driving after they left the party. (The reference to an “axon link” is technology through which people can upload video if involved in a specific SPD case.) The report says deputies brought him from Burien to West Seattle, and from there he was booked into King County Jail. This case was initially handled through the Municipal Court system, and as noted, he was released without charges being filed by the City Attorney’s Office, but with very clear messaging that charges are still a possibility in the future:
Notice to the Defendant:
The Seattle City Attorney’s office is not filing criminal charges against you at this time. You will be released today without conditions. However, the City Attorney’s office may file charges against you in the future in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington.
(WSB photo)
8:25 PM: That was the scene in the 4000 block of SW Henderson [vicinity map] a short time ago, as police investigated gunfire in the Fauntlee Hills neighborhood. They told us at the scene that no one was hurt, but they found two shell casings in the street, and bullet damage to at least one parked car. They say the shooter left in a vehicle. We’ll add anything more we find out; if you have any information, the SPD incident # to refer to is 25-028468.
ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Police have released this summary:
At 1941 hours, the complainant was inside his house located at the 4000 BLK of SW Henderson St. The complainant heard his vehicle being tampered with in his driveway. The complainant looked out and saw his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend tampering with his vehicle. The complainant screamed at the two suspects, and they ran to a black Mercedes. The male suspect pulled out a gun and shot at the complainant. The suspects then drove away. The complainant didn’t have any injuries. Officers arrived and processed the scene. The suspects weren’t located.
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