West Seattle, Washington
02 Thursday
(Photo from comment by ‘Tired’)
11:03 PM MONDAY: Police checking out 911 calls about possible gunfire just before 11 pm in the Westwood area have just confirmed it. Officers told dispatch they’ve found casings at 27th/Thistle [map], near Chief Sealth IHS and Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex. No word yet of injuries; at least one parked car is reported to have damage.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The SPD summary of the incident changes the intersection to 27th/Trenton and adds other details:
At 2253 hours, several callers reported hearing the sound of gunfire in the area of 27 Av SW and SW Trenton St. Officers arrived at that intersection to find 13 spent 10mm shell casings on the east side of the intersection, and three spent 9mm shell casings approximately 10-15 yards west of them. A nearby parked and unoccupied vehicle had a round go through both the rear window and windshield. No bullet fragments were recovered. Surveillance footage didn’t reveal anything of evidentiary value. The spent shell casings were photographed and placed into evidence.
(Added: Texted reader photo)
4:27 AM: Thanks for the tips. Police are at the gas station/minimart at 4580 Fauntleroy Way SW trying to arrest a suspect. Radio traffic indicates the person they’re after is an assault suspect; the incident is described as domestic violence. More details as we get them.
4:44 AM: According to audio from the initial dispatch, the victim was described as a “man, bleeding badly, who said he was in a fight with his wife.” The victim has been taken to a hospital.
4:59 AM: They’re still searching for the suspect, now with a K-9 team helping. She is described as a Hispanic woman in her late 30s, about 4’8″, pink sweater, possibly armed with a knife (though the assault was not described nor dispatched as a stabbing).
5:14 AM: The K-9-accompanied search has ranged into the neighborhoods north/northeast of Fauntleroy/Alaska, so if you’re in that area and seeing/hearing police, it’s related to this.
5:48 AM: That search is continuing. Meantime, police have obtained a warrant to search the vehicle in which the suspect and victim are reported to have arrived at the gas station.
(Added: Reader photo)
5:53 AM: The tracking team has wound up back at the gas station. Meantime, we’re following up with SFD on the victim’s condition when taken to the hospital.
6:04 AM: They’ve finished that search; no one inside. The vehicle was initially described as a pickup truck but subsequent mentions, and at least one nearby resident, say it’s an RV.
6:14 AM: The search is wrapping up for now. We’ll be following up with police too.
11:45 AM: SFD says the victim, 34, was in stable condition when transported.
1:05 PM: And police have just confirmed to WSB that the suspect, 37, has been arrested. The jail register shows she was booked just before 10 am.
ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Here’s the SPD summary of the incident:
At 0401 hours, the victim drove his RV to the Shell Gas Station located at the 4500 BLK of Fauntleroy WY SW. The victim fell asleep, and the suspect became mad. The suspect started yelling at the victim and she pulled out a knife. The suspect slashed at the victim, and he blocked it with his arm. The victim suffered a deep laceration on his upper right wrist. The victim was transported to HMC by AMR. K9 responded to the scene and completed a track, but the suspect wasn’t located. A warrant was completed and approved. The suspect wasn’t located inside the RV. … The suspect was later located, arrested, and booked into KCJ for Assault.
She remains at the King County Jail as of late today.
We asked SPD about an incident logged just after noon Monday because its classification on the call map suggested it might have been a shots-fired incident, and the address was near Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point. The police report says someone called in to report finding two bullets on the ground on the trails just outside the campus, “on the path that comes from 20th Avenue SW leading south to the school through the woods.” This was further described as a trail “outside the large fenced property to the west of Pathfinder School.” Police arrived and took the two unspent 9mm bullets; the person who found them said they hadn’t seen anyone around or near the bullets.
As speculated in citywide media in recent days, Mayor Bruce Harrell has chosen Madison, Wisconsin, Police Chief Shon Barnes as the next Seattle Police Chief. The announcement says Barnes “brings to Seattle a record of accomplishment, including implementing solutions that have driven a 67% decrease in homicides, a 40% decrease in auto thefts, and a 19% decrease in reports of shots fired so far in 2024, as well as advancing strategies to build an inclusive police service where 28% of officers are women.” The announcement adds, “Mayor Harrell will welcome Chief Barnes to Seattle with a public event in January, and Chief Barnes will begin a series of meetings with community members in city neighborhoods.” In Madison this week, he has been dealing with a high-profile case, a deadly school shooting. Barnes has been Madison chief for three and a half years, and has worked in law enforcement for 24 years, according to his Madison PD bio. If confirmed, he will succeed Interim Chief Sue Rahr, who came out of retirement earlier this year to lead SPD while a new chief was found in the wake of Adrian Diaz‘s then-demotion; she was not seeking the permanent position. You can read the full announcement here; it also notes:
There were 57 total applications received from across the United States which were reviewed and narrowed to a list of 44 qualified candidates. The top four candidates were invited to take a competitive exam in November, as required by the City Charter. Three candidates – Chief Barnes; Nicholas Augustine, Assistant Chief of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police; and Emada Tingirides, Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department – passed the exam and were forwarded to Mayor Harrell for his consideration and final selection.
The city announcement also notes that the SPD chief’s job description was shaped by input from public-safety forums held around the city earlier this year; the one for the Southwest Precinct was a lightly attended event in South Park (WSB coverage here) two weeks before then-Chief Diaz was demoted.
2:22 AM: SPD sent officers out to look for the source of possible gunfire after numerous 911 calls a short time ago from various areas, and they found it near Westwood Village. They’ve found shell casings – from a rifle – after a man told them someone in a car shot at him at the bus stop in the 2600 block of SW Barton. He apparently was not hurt. He told police the gunfire came from a dark-gray Acura with four people inside, described as Asian, male, late teens to early twenties, in blue clothing. The vehicle was last seen heading eastbound on Barton, which is temporarily closed at the scene while officers collect evidence.
2:49 AM: Officers are reopening the street, and also told dispatch they’ve collected 12 spent rounds and found gunshot damage on the ATI Physical Therapy building (along north side of Barton in WWV).
ADDED FRIDAY: Here’s the SPD summary – adding both that the shell casings were from three different types of guns, and that the reported target was on the shopping center premises when shot at:
At 0200 hours, numerous callers reported hearing shots spanning a large area of SW Pct. Officers conducted an extensive search and located a male at a bus stop in the 2600 block of SW Barton St who stated that he was the target of the shooting. This male made no attempt to call 911 or flag Officers down to report being shot at. This male stated that he had been standing at the bus shelter when a dark gray Acura drove past him. The vehicle was reportedly occupied by 4 A/M wearing blue. The vehicle made a U-turn, and the victim had a feeling he was about to be shot at, so he began to run north into the shopping complex. The suspect vehicle stopped in the roadway, shot at the victim as he ran, did not hit him and fled the area. Officers processed the scene and recovered the following fired cartridge casings: seven .223, three .357 and two 9mm. One building sustained damage from being struck multiple times by gunfire. No other victims were located at this time. No cameras were located that may have captured the incident.
Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
SECOND 7-ELEVEN ROBBERY OF THE DAY: After the robbery on which we reported late last night, there was another one at a West Seattle 7-Eleven hours later – the South Delridge 7-Eleven was held up just before 5:30 am. The initial description of the robbers – four Black teenagers, black clothing and masks, armed with a gun and a knife, who got away with cash and “tobacco products.” Police believe the same robbers were involved in an overnight robbery in North Seattle. If you have any information, the incident number is 24-349592.
MORGAN JUNCTION BURGLARY: After hearing a bit about this break-in via police radio after it was reported around 1 am today, we requested the narrative from SPD. It says that officers were dispatched to Waterfront Federal Credit Union in the 6400 block of Fauntleroy Way SW after an alarm trip revealed a video feed showing someone inside. That person was gone by the time officers responded. They found the building opened and that someone had used the kitchen. The burglar seen on the video was described as ” a white male, thin build wearing a beanie with a black coat and dark camouflage pants.” There was a report of a car outside the building that disappeared after the burglar did, but no description. The credit union contact wasn’t immediately sure if anything had been taken; police did find likely fingerprints and used “print cards” for evidence.
PROWLER: A reader sent this report:
Last night around 2 am a man walked up to the door of a home I am dog-sitting at and after knocking at the front door continued to walk around the property. He appears to be intoxicated. Police were called shortly after the man was seen but had left the property once police had been called. There was no sign of break-in, a few door handles rattled but nothing else. I wanted to share this (image) if anyone might know who he is or has seen him.
I also have a photo that I just received from the neighbors of the house I am staying at. The person who tried to open the doors to the house also kicked the side fence down. They either came in through the fence, having come through the neighbors yard first or left through the fence before police arrived.
This happened on 41st SW – we have a followup question out asking where on that street, which runs north to south along almost the entire peninsula.
P.S. – MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSE: Several readers reported what looked like a pursuit around 2 pm today, with non-Seattle police vehicles roaring off Harbor SW and onto the West Seattle Bridge, last seen exiting onto I-5. We asked around this afternoon to try to find out what that was about and haven’t yet had any luck.
(WSB photo)
9:07 PM: Police are searching for a group of robbers who are reported to have taken the cash drawer from the 35th/Barton 7-Eleven store a little over half an hour ago. They are described on police radio as “unknown-race males, teens-twenties, black puffy jackets, hats, masks,” with a gun implied but not seen, getting away southbound on 35th. A K-9 team is joining the search.
9:13 PM: The trail is reported to have ended on 34th, where police suspect a getaway car was parked.
(L-R, Unified Care Team’s Ali Peters and Darius Foster, SW Precinct Capt. Krista Bair)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
We’ve already reported the two major headlines from last week’s quarterly Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council meeting – an update on the shooting death of 15-year-old Sudaysi Ida, and news of a one-day retail-theft crackdown at Westwood Village.
Now, the rest of the news from the meeting, facilitated by Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite. Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair was there, Operations Lt. Nate Shopay too, community liaison Officer German Barreto, Unified Care Team director Ali Peters and UCT manager Darius Foster, who focuses on the south end via SDOT, plus two Community Service Officers and two reps from the mayor’s office.
PRECINCT UPDATE: After the two updates mentioned earlier. Capt. Bair opened the floor to Q&A. A resident of the 25th/Brandon area said “it’s an interesting place to live” – no break-ins or robberies on their block but they’re “surrounded by disorganized crime” within a few blocks – homes with too many people living there, ‘we’ve talked to the police ad nauseam and finally given up.” They’re trying to beat back the disorder. “Do you guys know roughly what the population in our precinct is?” Bair didn’t know (but we can offer the estimate of 115,000, since it’s West Seattle and South Park) – Satterwhite will look into it. Bair said “we have a staffing issue” but said she was very excited to hear that SPD hiring “is picking up in numbers – for a while it was trickling in”; not everybody qualified all the way through the process, but now they have 8 to 10 officer candidates going through the academy and they’re “feeling very positive … we’re moving in the right direction – getting some quality candidates.” Regarding the SW precinct, between the three watches, each one has about 20 people or so “BUT we don’t always have 20 people working at any given time.”
They launched into more detailed discussion of specific houses near the attendee’s block.
(WSB photos)
The SPD personnel working at the Southwest Precinct right now to sort and tag donated clothes are part of a first-of-its-kind donation drive. SPD’s Community Service Officers are often called on to help people in emergency situations with items like clothes, coats, even something as simple as socks … so they’re collecting donations today to be sure they have a stockpile. The Southwest Precinct is the first to do this; some of the donations will be stored downtown to help CSOs assist people all over the city.
At the precinct when we stopped by this past hour were Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite, CSOs Heslin and Huang, and Community Liaison Officer German Barreto. They told us they’re getting a lot of good stuff – they had been out of men’s pants, for example. What do they need most? we asked. Items that aren’t too closely fitted/sized – for example, sweat pants, in sizes that are flexible like small, medium, large, extra-large. Socks and hats are also welcome too. (But no used underwear.)
Satterwhite added that if you’re coming down during today’s drive, which continues until 3 pm in the community room just off the visitors’ parking lot on the south side of the precinct (2300 SW Webster), you’re also welcome to pick up a free steering-wheel lock if you need one.
And if you have clothing to donate but can’t get to the precinct today, email her and you can arrange a dropoff when the lobby is open (her address is on this page). CSO Heslin added that they might be able to pickup donations on Wednesdays, because that’s the day all CSOs work.
Also from last night’s Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council meeting – precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair told attendees that nine people had been arrested in an operation at Westwood Village earlier in the day. She said three stores – Target, Marshalls, and Ulta Beauty – had been reporting particularly egregious trouble with thieves, so they got some extra help to go after the problem. The newfound ability of the King County Jail to book misdemeanor suspects played a role in their ability to do this, Capt. Bair said, noting that six of the nine arrestees were booked into jail. Previously, without the ability to book such suspects, she said, “for a while it was a free-for-all there … today we let them know, that’s not the case.” The department’s General Investigations Unit and Community Response Group were involved, she said, making those nine arrests in three hours. “Those businesses really appreciated it.” We don’t have the suspects’ names yet but SPD says the charges they face include “theft, burglary, assault, and warrants.” (Our report on the major topic of the rest of last night’s meeting, the Unified Care Team, is still in the works.)
10:38 PM: SPD and SFD are in the 6400 block of 30th SW in High Point with a person who is reported to have a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
10:44 PM: The victim is being taken to the hospital. We haven’t heard a suspect description yet; dispatch told police one person had called in to report they’d heard gunshots, possibly from the “sidewalk or street.”
12:20 AM: We’re still waiting to hear back from SFD on the victim’s condition when transported. Dispatch audio from early in the incident describes him as a “juvenile male.”
1:30 AM: SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty tells WSB the shooting victim is 15 years old and was assessed in critical condition when being transported to the hospital.
(SPD photo)
7:20 AM: SPD says the teen died at the hospital. No arrest so far.
A texter asked about a big police response near 18th/Dawson on Puget Ridge at midmorning. Took a while to get the info but here’s what happened, according to police: It was a person-in-crisis call involving a 20-year-old man who was reported to be armed with a knife and threatening at least one family member. He was then reported to be out on foot in the neighborhood, possibly under the influence; police responded, finding him and talking with him. They asked him if he had a knife on him and though he didn’t answer, officers say he eventually took out a sheathed knife – with a four-inch-long blade – and tossed it into grass nearby. He was taken into custody without incident, according to police, for investigation of domestic-violence felony harassment, which the report says is cause for a mandatory arrest. They later also found pepper-spray gel in the suspect’s possession, according to the report narrative. The suspect was booked into jail. No one was reported injured.
Saturday (November 30) is the last day to answer this year’s Seattle Public Safety Survey. Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite says this was the representation from West Seattle neighborhoods as of midweek:
Alaska Junction – 103
Alki – 97
North Admiral – 92
Fauntleroy – 80
Roxhill/Westwood/Arbor Heights – 69
High Point – 56
Morgan – 55
Highland Park – 52
North Delridge – 48
South Delridge – 38
Pigeon Point – 11
(Not all West Seattle neighborhoods are represented because back when they came up with Micro-Community Policing Plans, those were the neighborhoods that had active community council. But you can reply to the survey no matter where you live in WS – just go here. Results – which are anonymous – eventually will be provided to the Seattle Police Department, though Seattle University administers the survey.
(SPD photo)
So how DID that car’s driver end up on a rooftop in The Arroyos just before 3:30 am today? We missed it in real time – it was a busy late-night – but SPD Blotter has just published followup information on the incident in the 10800 block of Arroyo Beach Place SW [vicinity map]. They say the 85-year-old Kirkland woman apparently “mistakenly accelerated forward from her parking stall, causing the vehicle to go over a ledge (and land) on top of an unoccupied parked car.” She wasn’t hurt but was taken to a hospital to be checked out – once SFD crews got her out.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Southwest Precinct‘s commander spoke at the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly lunch meeting today.
Captain Krista Bair, who’s been leading the precinct since summer, told WSB earlier this fall that community partnership is vital. Her interaction with community at this event started even before her speech; a Rotary member talked about how his 22-year-old car had been stolen twice – and recovered (as he told the story, he pointed out it was at the moment parked right outside the lunch venue, the West Seattle Golf Course banquet room) – thanks to an Automated License Plate Reader in Renton the first time. Capt. Bair confirmed SPD cars have that technology too.
Taking the mic at the front of the room a short time later, Capt. Bair said she’s a former West Seattle resident now living in Burien – and she almost immediately launched into Q&A. The first question was about a particularly egregious case and why not everyone was booked into jail; Capt. Bair said, “I’m just as dumbfounded as you are,” and noted that the question related to an incident involving juveniles, but said “I don’t have an answer for you, but don’t give up, as community, come together and collaborate.”
Second question had to do with the car shootings a few nights ago. “I’ve been told we should call in even if others have – right?” The captain replied, “That’s a perfect example of needing the community in order for us to do our work. …. We have certain priorities, bullets being shot are a priority.” But depending on what’s going on, staffing citywide can be “triage,” and she acknowledged that responses can be “frustrating. … each and every time, even if you know other people are calling … it shows there’s a need for resources in that area …” and be patient with the 911 calltakers “trying to get information” so officers can be fully informed.
What about Southwest Precinct staffing? She noted that the precinct has about 80 deployable people. 4 am-2 pm is first watch. The department has arbitrary minimums – if 10 is the minimum for that shift, for example, should they be below that level, they’ll reach out across the city to try to fill the vacancies. Second watch is 11 am to 9 pm, so the first/second overlap is when they usually would have the most people on the street, with a 12 or 13 minimum. Third watch is 7 pm to 5 am. Officers are “augmenting” – filling the vacancies – a lot, she said. Training and time off, among other things, take people out of the mix.
The next person with a question discussed a street encounter and how he learned about the “keywords” the 911 operators pick up. He mentioned a person with a possible gun – and a fast response ensued.
What are the crime stats and trends? the next person asked. Capt. Bair said crime prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite, who had accompanied her, would have to look that up. (Satterwhite said year-to-year stats as of a few days ago showed a 10 percent increase in property crime, while auto theft is down 30 percent in the precinct – and they’re still giving away steering-wheel locks.) But there’s a weekly meeting about “shots fired” incidents, for example, and citywide hotspots are discussed; there are also meetings about trends like the store robberies, and there’s a “plan of action” (apparently beyond the recent arrests).
Next question: Are the juvenile criminals organized, as in gangs, or more random? Capt. Bair said “depends on who you ask” and noted that the Gun Violence Response Unit is really a gang unit too. But while the juvenile robbers are “very organized,” they aren’t necessarily a “gang,” she said.
Next question: What recruiting tools does SPD have available? Capt. Bair said the officers themselves are the best recruiting tool, in her view, “and I tell my officers that on a regular basis.” She said interim Chief Sue Rahr has been a good influence on the process too, as boosting the recruiting has been her top job. They’re also campaigning for lateral transfers – officers who are working somewhere else. She said that it’s not just her 30 years of experience that has her saying she feels the department is excellent – well-trained, and dedicated people.
She also said that Rahr has created a program called “Trust-Centered Leadership,” which includes communication, cultural awareness, and self-care – “the bottom line, the goal is always the same, to serve the people you are here to serve and help.” As an example, she mentioned going to the East Precinct just as it reopened after the CHAZ abandonment. As a lieutenant, she learned some important management skills with that experience, needing to recognize the mindset of the people you’re leading, not just your own. And she again mentioned that Chief Rahr is here just because she is passionate about the work – she came out of retirement to do this, after all. Right now officers don’t have time to do much more than go from 911 call to 911 call but hopefully that will change when staffing increases in the next few years.
Final question, about the 12th/Jackson trouble spot on the south side of downtown – what can the police due about the prevalent drug use and suffering? Capt. Bair replied “continue with enforcement …is the quick answer.” But the questioner said he had never seen any sign of police response. Bair said “getting the right people out there” is the best answer – the city’s CARE team, for example. Mental-health professionals, case managers, others are needed. “We need other partners to assist us with that … right now the CARE department has been phenomenal.” Officers get dispatched too and then hand off to the CARE team members, so they can move on to calls that truly require an officer.
She was presented with a book of nature photographs by Art Wolfe, as a token of appreciation for her appearance.
OTHER ROTARY NOTES: A recent fundraiser brought in more than $1,600 for fighting hunger; the club also will be volunteering at a local food-distribution center in lieu of next Tuesday’s lunch gathering … 19 trees, 3 wreaths, and 2 gift baskets have been donated for the upcoming Festival of Mini-Trees that the Rotary is presenting on December 4.
Three notes in West Seattle (and vicinity) Crime Watch, plus an announcement:
GUNFIRE DAMAGES ACCESS BUS: A reader tipped us to this South Park incident, and now police have released a summary:
At 4:15 am (Friday), a Metro Access Van was transporting a single rider to an appointment in the early morning hours. When the van was traveling near 14 Ave S/ S Cloverdale St, the vehicle occupants observed a passenger compartment window shatter. Believing it might have been a rock, the vehicle continued to the original destination. The operator eventually discovered possible bullet damage and notified the supervisor who in turn called 911. Officers responded to the Access facility and contacted the (person who reported it). Bullet damage was verified, and evidence was collected.
If you have any information, the incident # is 24-323338.
Two reader reports:
GAS THEFT, AGAIN: The photo and report are from Jeff:
I came out to my truck this morning to find that someone drilled a hole in the gas tank to steal gas. This is the second time it has happened in a little over a year. Located off 44th and Genesee. If anyone heard or saw anything, it would be helpful.
No police-report number yet, nor for this one:
GARAGE BREAK-IN: From Scott:
(Saturday) night starting at 3 am, on the 41st Ave SW block between Hinds and Manning, someone broke into our garage and stole a bunch of tools. Our video camera captured this image of the person.
Please let people know to lock their belongings!
Also, just announced:
NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING WITH POLICE: Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite has just announced the next Crime Prevention Council meeting (and remember, the “council” is really just everyone who shows up) for 6:30 pm Thursday, December 5. In addition to updates from precinct leaders, you will get a chance to learn about the Unified Care Team, the multi-department team that deals with encampments around the city. The agenda is in our calendar listing; the precinct is at 2300 SW Webster.
10:30 PM: Police have blocked Beach Drive in both directions near Canada [map] because of a standoff with a suspect believed to be in crisis. Avoid the area.
11:04 PM: They’ve just taken the man into custody. We still haven’t heard what led to this, but will follow up.
11:18 PM: Police just told dispatch they’re reopening Beach Drive both ways.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: Here’s the summary we just obtained from police:
On 10/29/24 at approximately 2110 hours [SPD responded] to reports of a domestic violence disturbance in the area of 62nd Av SW and Alki Av SW. Upon arriving on scene, I was not able to locate victim and (we) learned … the victim left the scene for safety concerns. The victim was contacted a short time later and was met at their residence.
The victim felt threatened by the suspect and the suspect threatened self-harm. Officers established probable cause to arrest the suspect.
Patrol officers attempted to contact the suspect several times inside a residence and eventually made contact. The Sgt was able to talk the suspect into exiting the home and he was taken into custody without incident at approximately 2303 hours.
The suspect was arrested for Investigation of Burglary-DV and booked into King County Jail.
12:52 PM: Police are converging on West Seattle’s only tiny-home village, Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way S.), after a report of gunfire from a unit on the south side of the complex. No word of injuries so far. Police are advising people at the camp to evacuate. People in the area might see the Guardian One helicopter joining the search for the suspected shooter, whose identity police apparently know. Myers Way is closed in the vicinity.
1:02 PM: The suspected shooter is likely still in his unit, police are saying.
1:43 PM: This is basically a standoff now, No resolution yet.
2:07 PM: Guardian One left because police are confident the situation is contained to the camp – they are not searching beyond it.
2:14 PM: The suspect is reported to be talking with officers about surrendering.
2:25 PM: The suspect is in custody, per SPD.
2:43 PM: Myers Way has not reopened yet, so use alternative routes a while longer.
(WSB photos)
8:11 PM: SPD and SFD have converged on the 7800 block of Detroit SW – at or near Shree’s Truck Stop – to investigate a reported shooting. The ~50-year-old man who is reported to have been shot is or was in a car – police don’t know yet whether he was shot there, or driven there after being shot elsewhere.
8:14 PM: Police just told dispatch the shooting happened at the scene where the victim was found.
8:16 PM: Officers have just told dispatch the victim has died.
8:49 PM: We are at the scene. Police say no one is in custody and they have no information on suspects. Adding scene photos.
10:32 PM: Police have just posted about this on SPD Blotter but the only new detail is that the victim was 53. If you have any information, they ask that you call 206-233-5000.
NOTE: This is the sixth non-vehicular homicide in West Seattle so far this year, after 15-year-old Mobarak Adam‘s shooting death at Southwest Pool/Teen Center in January, 22-year-old Luis Solis Lara‘s shooting death on Duwamish Head in June, 53-year-old William Tappe‘s beating death in the east Junction area in June, 32-year-old Laupule Talaga‘s shooting death in The Triangle last month, and 57-year-old Tammy Towers Parry‘s shooting death south of The Junction on October 1.
ADDED: We just went through the archives; six was the West Seattle homicide total for all of 2023. And one of those was a deadly shooting at the Delridge Shree’s gas station – the victim was shot there, drove away, and died exiting the West Seattle Bridge.
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Police are not releasing any additional information. Today, however, the Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 53-year-old Oton Garcia Ruiz, cause of death “gunshot wound to torso.”
The City Council gave final approval today to the plan for a Seattle Police pilot program to use surveillance cameras in four areas of the city. None of them are in West Seattle, but the bill includes an amendment from District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka requiring SPD to study possibly using cameras in the Alki/Harbor Avenue area. We reported on this after the Public Safety Committee, for which Saka serves as vice chair, passed it two weeks ago. Actually authorizing cameras in Alki/Harbor would require separate legislation at some point in the future, so don’t expect to see them any time soon. The areas of the city where the bill does authorize cameras are downtown, Aurora, Belltown, and Chinatown/ID. Opponents have voiced privacy concerns; Saka acknowledged cameras bring “potential non-trivial privacy challenges,” but he and colleagues including Public Safety Committee chair Councilmember Bob Kettle contend there will be plenty of safeguards and oversight. Saka also contended video is needed as a “force multiplier,” and noted that if it’s eventually deployed for Alki/Harbor, that could help people who are “suffering from PTSD … because of what’s been going on down here.” The discussion of this item starts 2 hours and 8 minutes into the Seattle Channel recording of the meeting.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“We need our community.”
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair says that’s truer than ever while SPD works to rebuild its ranks.
We talked with her earlier this week at the precinct, our first opportunity for a sit-down conversation since she took over more than three months ago as leader of the officers assigned to West Seattle and South Park.
Before getting into how the precinct works – and how the community factors into what police do – we asked about how she found this profession, which has her now serving as the first woman to lead this precinct, in a department where women comprise only about 15 percent of the sworn staffing. This month marks 29 years since Capt. Bair started her policing career. In very early adulthood, she worked in her family business – an Arizona restaurant – for a while. “It was great preparation for interacting for the public, time management, customer complaints …” She might have stayed in the family business but she didn’t want to stay in Arizona: “I’m just not a hot-weather person.” Her interest in Seattle was piqued by movies like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Singles.” Her interest in police work traces to TV shows like “Cagney and Lacey” and “Charlie’s Angels.” (The Angels were private detectives, close enough.) In the beginning, she says, police work wasn’t what she expected – she looked younger than her early-20s age, so “I thought they’d put me in schools. Didn’t happen.” But she found fulfillment in the work anyway. “I’ve always wanted to help people. … I’m a very optimistic individual.”
(Photo sent by Kathy)
Thanks for the tips. More trouble for Easy Street Records – two days after flooding damage inside, one of the shop windows was broken from outside, around 7 am. Police found a shrieking woman, took her into custody, and called for medical assistance; one of the people who told us about this, Kathy, says people nearby setting up for the Farmers’ Market told her that the woman apparently had thrown herself against the window. SFD tells us, “A crew was dispatched and treated an adult female in crisis. The patient was transported to the hospital by AMR.”
(WSB photo from Tuesday)
The woman shot and killed at a house south of The Junction on Tuesday was identified this afternoon, and police have released more information on what they believe happened. We’ve already added the new details to our original Tuesday report, but are also publishing this separate update.
First, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, she was 57-year-old Tamara (“Tammy”) Towers Parry, and she died of “multiple gunshot wounds.” She was a longtime physician who gained notoriety in 2021 for a video indicating she was at the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
Police said in the hours after her death that the shooting involved her and two other people. Today they confirmed those two other people had come to her house with “papers.” (Her house was listed here as being in “pre-foreclosure/auction” status for $225,000 “unpaid balance”; a “notice of trustee sale” filed with King County in May says it was scheduled for auction two weeks ago.) Police say Ms. Towers Parry “presented a shotgun” and that one of those people, a 40-year-old man, shot her with his handgun. After the SPD update was published, we asked police to clarify that she did not fire her shotgun and SPD spokesperson Det. Brian Pritchard replied, “The shotgun was not fired.” Police also say they recovered both guns involved and that no one was under arrest, but the investigation continues.
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