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.”

(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.

(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.

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 publicaffairs@seattleschools.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.

(Seattle Police Department photo)

Six weeks after Mayor Bruce Harrell nominated Shon Barnes, then police chief in Madison, Wisconsin, to take over the Seattle Police Department, Chief Barnes has started work. SPD says his first day today was busy “with meeting new colleagues, media interviews, and getting to know the community.” Barnes, 50, is quoted as saying he will “be making sure we’re establishing a culture of excellence and procedural justice within the department.” Also still ahead: The City Council confirmation process.

(WSB file photo from last year)

Less than two weeks into the new year, with an extensive recruiting campaign continuing, the city has totaled up how Seattle Police staffing ended the year. A news release from Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s office says 84 officers were hired, and 83 officers left – the first year since 2019 that hires outnumbered departures. Here’s their chart for the past six years – note the number of deployable officers is up too:

(Corrected table added 4:05 pm after receiving from mayor’s office – adds ‘total number’ column)

The mayor’s office also says the number of applicants last year more than doubled from the year before – 4,115 compared to 1,998 in 2023.

We asked how many of the departures were retirements and how many were resignations. Mayoral spokesperson Callie Craighead replied, “In 2024 there were 36 retirements and 24 resignations. In 2023 there were 39 retirements and 24 resignations. So retirements were down slightly from 2023, and resignations remained consistent.”