West Seattle, Washington
23 Monday
(WSB photo)
7:40 PM: Northbound Delridge at Genesee is blocked while police investigate a situation involving a crashed car and a gun.
(Photo sent by Kellan)
Police at the scene tell us they’re still trying to sort it all out but “multiple people” are in custody. Tgey are also investigating whether this is related to a gunfire report at Don Armeni earlier this evening. (added) The Don Armeni situation was first reported as gunfire following a robbery at gunpoint.
8:31 PM: Archived police-radio exchanges indicate the two incidents were indeed linked.
Two reader reports:
FOLLOWED BY SUSPICIOUS DRIVER: This happened in The Junction on Thursday between 7 and 7:30 pm, reports a reader who wanted to report this in case it happens – or has happened – to anyone else:
I was driving south down 42nd (off Alaska) to park my car in the neighborhood, and as I pulled over to park just north of Dawson St. I noticed that the car right behind me pulled over immediately behind me. Having that gut feeling, I immediately pulled out and kept driving, and the car followed me. This car proceeded to follow me back down 42nd to Alaska, down California, up 44th to Dakota Place Park, back down California (where he turned off his headlights and changed lanes with me twice) before following me into the Safeway parking lot. I was on the phone with my partner the entire time, trying to figure out what I should do and the best we came up with was that I should go somewhere populated and try to get help. He parked next to me in the Safeway parking lot (the one on 42nd near the Junction) and I screamed at him for a few minutes, snapped a pic of his license plate and started walking toward Safeway to get others involved. He didn’t get out of his vehicle the entire time, and as I was screaming at him he gave me hand gestures and a facial expression like, “what? me? I wasn’t doing anything?” although he did not speak to me.
I was able to involve two people standing outside Safeway, one of whom was a man who went over to the vehicle and was able to get the guy to drive out of the parking lot. A very kind woman called her boyfriend who was nearby, and the two of them walked me home so that I wasn’t alone, and didn’t have to get back in my car.
The man was driving an older white pickup truck with a covered back. He appeared to be a Hispanic man, in his mid-40’s with a thin face – since he didn’t get out of the car I can’t speak to his height, but my impression was he had a slim build, and he was wearing a hat (Seahawks, I think?).
We are not publishing the license number as it’s not clear a crime was committed, but the reader has provided it to police – the report # is 22-269009.
AUTO ACCESSORIES STOLEN: The photo and report are from Kevin:
I’d like to report theft of my Yakima Roof Rack and accessories off my Jeep parked on SW Nevada St. Neighbors said they were awakened at 3:23 AM early Sunday morning to some noise outside.
The platform roof rack was found down the block but items were stripped and missing.
1. Yakima Slim Shady 6.5’ awning
2. Yakima Fresh Tract 4 Snowboard Rack
3. Black Max Trax recovery board and various recovery equipmentThank you if there is any information! Pending SPD case number
12:18 PM: Thanks for the tips. We’re told at least two schools – Genesee Hill and West Seattle (at the former Schmitz Park) Elementaries – sheltered in place for a while earlier today because of a police response in the area. One reader saw the officers in the 51st/Charlestown vicinity.
(Photo via email)
SPD describes it only as a “person in crisis” situation. If we learn anything further, we’ll update.
2:09 PM: A parent forwarded the letter sent to GH families by principal Liz Dunn:
This morning Genesee Hill Elementary went into a brief shelter-in-place while there was police activity near our school.
At 11 a.m., we were alerted by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) that they were responding to a report of an individual who may have been suicidal in the area.
The Genesee Hill teachers and staff quickly got the students off the playground and back into their classrooms. The police did a thorough search of the area. According to SPD, the individual was taken into care. The lockdown was lifted at 11:10 a.m.
This incident occurred off school property and at no time was student safety compromised. Students may have witnessed the increased police presence as the SPD responded to the situation.
Please know that I take safety in our buildings very seriously. The well-being of Genesee Hill students is my top concern. I am proud of how our students and staff responded to this incident. District procedures were followed, and the situation was resolved quickly and safe
(A reminder that if you or anyone you know is experiencing thoughts of self-harm, there’s a new three-digit hotline – 988.
Thanks for all the tips. Police caught a lot of attention this past hour with bullhorn warnings and sirens in North Delridge. According to archived police audio, it all started with a domestic-violence call in the 4800 block of 25th SW, someone reporting that their partner was threatening them with a weapon. The suspect apparently left the scene on foot and police have been searching for her; we don’t know yet whether they have made an arrest.
1:01 PM: Thanks for the tips. Highland Park Elementary families got a message that the school had been sheltering in place due to “suspicious activity” nearby. We checked with SPD, which says police have cleared the scene, and said a responding officer summarized the incident this way:
“At approximately 1033 hrs (a witness) saw the subject to the north of the school walking in the attached park. (The witness) stated that the subject was wearing all camouflage and had on a small backpack and was carrying what appeared to be a small rifle type case. (The witness) stated that the subject was looking around nervously and appeared to be suspicious to him. (The witness) took a video of the subject. I reviewed the video and I did not see any weapon, but it was not possible to see what he was carrying on his left side. … The subject was last seen around the bathroom on the park. A check of the park by myself and other responding officers did not locate the subject. The surrounding neighborhood also checked clear.”
We’re checking to see if the school has lifted the shelter-in-place.
1:53 PM: Parents have received an update from HPE’s principal saying they’ll continue sheltering through day’s end, and that police and district security will be there at dismissal time.
ADDED FRIDAY: We’ve received the video showing the “suspicious person” from the person who recorded it:
1:08 PM: Mayor Harrell is speaking at City Hall and just announced that Adrian Diaz will become the permanent chief of SPD. He was one of three finalists for the job, as announced two weeks ago, and has been interim chief for two years. … Crime and gun violence, accountability, department culture, safe neighborhoods are what Harrell says he wants Chief Diaz to focus on. More to come.
1:25 PM: The mayor says he admires Diaz’s “tenacity” and that he believes he’d be “the strongest, most effective leader.” Diaz said he’s committed to “restore safety citywide.” He also promised “reconciliation” on many levels. Here’s the official city announcement, which notes that City Council confirmation is required for the appointment to be finalized. … Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell added in Q&A that another major plus for Diaz was that despite knowing that the job he’s had for the past two years was not necessarily permanent, he “came in to make change.” He says those changes have included reducing officers’ use of force by almost half. … In response to another question, Diaz talked about changes in how they’re recruiting, which have resulted in a more diverse group of new hires – almost 50 percent POC. He said they have increased resources for recruiting and outreach, too.
1:48 PM: The announcement event is over. We’ll add the video above when it’s available. (2:57 pm update – video added above.)
Just got last-minute word from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner that the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting scheduled for tonight – first one in almost a year and a half – has now been postponed to 6 pm Thursday, October 13th.
It’s been almost a year and a half since the last West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. It was always an opportunity for West Seattle community members to hear from and talk with Southwest Precinct police, regarding any crime/safety concerns, from specific incidents to general trends/issues. Tomorrow (Monday, September 19th), it’s the first WSCPC meeting since April of 2021 (here’s our coverage of that meeting), and much has changed since then, including precinct leadership – Captain Martin Rivera became SWP commander last November. All are invited to tomorrow’s online meeting. It’ll start at 6 pm; connection/call-in info is in our calendar listing.
Above are city-provided photos of the three finalists for Seattle Police Chief, announced about an hour ago – from left, interim SPD Chief Adrian Diaz, SPD Assistant Chief Eric Greening, and Tucson Police Assistant Chief Kevin Hall. The city’s announcement says 15 people applied for the job, and were interviewed by the search committee, which narrowed the list down to an unspecified “select number” who took a city-charter-mandated test over the past two days. Next step is an interviewing process that will include a forum to be shown on Seattle Channel one week from tonight; written questions are still being accepted here. You can read about the finalists’ background in today’s full announcement.
Seattle Police are convening community conversations with recruits as a new part of their training, and one of the events is planned in our area. Here’s the announcement:
Calling all who live and/or work in Seattle – Sign up to participate in the new “Before the Badge” Community-Police Dialogues!
The dialogues are part of the new “Before the Badge” 45-day training program that all new Seattle Police Department recruits complete prior to entering the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy. The purpose of the dialogues is to give community members an opportunity to engage with new Seattle Police recruits to help them learn about Seattle community concerns at the precinct/neighborhood level as part of the Seattle Police Department’s Micro-Community Policing Plans.
Two Southwest Precinct-specific events are planned: 5:30-7:30 pm September 26th and November 14th. They’re hosted in partnership with Seattle University, so that’s whose website you’re going to if you’re interested in signing up.
11:44 AM: If you saw the big police response in Highland Park a short time ago, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the 16th/Holden 7-11. A suspect was stopped quickly nearby and was reported to be in possession of “a blowtorch shaped like a handgun.” No other incident details so far; we hope to add an update later.
2:45 PM: We followed up with police. They say that after further investigation, this turned out to be a misunderstanding – “the ‘suspect’ pulled out a gun-shaped lighter while retrieving items from their pockets. They then made an approximately $40 purchase. They did not appear to point the lighter at anyone or make any demands.”
5:30 PM: Police are investigating what’s reported to have been a hit-run collision that injured a pedestrian at 26th/Juneau. The hit-run driver was reported to be in a silver early 2000s Mercedes ML towing a silver Prius, last seen northbound on 26th. We have not yet heard whether the pedestrian is seriously hurt.
5:40 PM: Officers have told dispatch they’ve located what they believe is the suspect vehicle.
5:51 PM: They’ve told dispatch they have the suspected driver in custody. We’re checking with SFD about the victim.
6:05 PM: SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley says the victim is a man in his early 40s, in stable condition when taken to a hospital by AMR ambulance.
Five months after announcing the search process for a permanent police chief, Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s office announced today that those involved in the process are close to choosing three finalists. Those finalists will be forwarded to the mayor on September 8th, and a public Q&A session with the finalists will be held a week later. Questions for that event are being accepted here. Adrian Diaz has been serving as interim Seattle Police Chief since Carmen Best announced her resignation two years ago.
Police are investigating a shooting this afternoon on the southeast edge of West Seattle. They responded to the 7800 block of Detroit SW [map] just after 4:30 pm and found a 32-year-old man who had been shot in the leg. SFD medics arrived and took him to Harborview Medical Center; his wound is not believed to be life-threatening. Police say witnesses report “an altercation between the victim and the suspect that escalated into the shooting,” followed by the shooter getting away in a “dark-colored sedan,” no other descriptive information provided.
It’s been many months since the last general community meeting with Southwest Precinct police leadership, under the auspices of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council. Just got word that the meetings will be revived, starting next month. The anouncement is from the precinct’s Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner:
Due to a few significant incidents locally, the SW Precinct would like to offer our community a change to speak directly with our Command Staff, share concerns and ask questions.
We hope you can join us next month for our SW Precinct Crime Prevention Council Meeting.
This meeting will be held on Monday, September 19th, at 6 pm.
Here is our tentative agenda, and meeting link:
6 pm- 6:10 pm: Introductions of SPD Personnel
6:10 pm- 6:20 pm: Crime and Safety Update from Captain Rivera and/or Operations Lieutenant Kim
6:20 pm- 6:50 pm: Q&A
6:50 pm- 7 pm: Closing Comments and Next Meeting’s Date
You can attend online or by phone – the online link via Microsoft Teams is here; the phone number for participating that way is 206-686-8357,,642368087# – phone conference ID 642 368 087#.
5:51 PM: Neighbors gathered at the awareness event regarding the North Delridge rape just broke out in applause at this news: SPD tweeted that they’ve arrested a suspect, an 18-year-old man, in Everett. More when we get it.
ADDED 7:42 PM: No additional information yet about the suspect, and SPD tells us they’re not expecting to have anything more to say tonight. Meantime, more than 30 people had gathered at Cottage Grove Park by the time small groups started fanning out into the neighborhood with teal balloons – for sexual-assault awareness – and flyers.
They hoped to reach neighbors who hadn’t yet heard about Monday evening’s attack, but they also wanted to be respectful of the victim’s privacy – they hadn’t spoken with her yet – so the advocacy was relatively low-key. One organizer said that just to see so much community support was heartening,
They shared stories and concerns as they prepared the balloons before heading out, One woman told us she had just been on the SW Graham stairs from High Point minutes before the victim, and apparently her attacker, traveled the same route. She said she’d been followed just months ago and hasn’t “felt safe in the area for a long time.” But she found hope in neighbors talking with each other.
One man circulated a petition with a letter he said he planned to send City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, inviting her to meet with the community on September 10th. He said he’d never seen things so bad in the neighborhood in the 36 years he’d lived there. And while an organizer expressed appreciation that two SPD officers had stopped by, she said the true power will be in neighbors banding together. “What you guys are doing is one of the most important things a community can do.”
Since this brief mention last night, we’ve been waiting all day for Seattle Police to reply to our request for additional information in last night’s reported sexual assault near 26th/Juneau. Here’s the entirety of what they just released via SPD Blotter:
SPD detectives are investigating after a woman reported she was sexually assaulted Monday evening in West Seattle.
Around 6:15 p.m., officers responded to the Delridge neighborhood for a report of an injured woman.
Officers and a K9 team searched the area for the suspect but were unable to find him. Medics transported the victim to the hospital for treatment.
Police obtained information about a person of interest in the case, a man who was seen in the area wearing a black Air Jordan hooded sweatshirt, a yellow medical mask, black athletic shorts, and slide sandals.
Sexual Assault Unit detectives continue to investigate.
If you have information for detectives, the Sexual Assault Unit is at 206-684-5575.
8:09 PM: Seattle Fire and Police are responding to a reported shooting at Hamilton Viewpoint Park. Dispatch says a man in his 30s was shot in the shoulder (at) the outlook.”
8:14 PM: Police are reported to be looking for two vehicles. No descriptions yet.
(WSB photos)
8:17 PM: Officers have told dispatch the shooter was on the right passenger side in an “older” silver Honda, armed with a “long gun.” It and an “associated vehicle,” described as “similar type” but black, were believed to have been last seen headed downhill toward Harbor Avenue.
8:37 PM: Added a photo above. Our crew says police have been examining the vehicle in the foreground but we don’t know yet if it’s related at all to the victim (as noted earlier the suspect vehicle[s]’s long gone).
8:44 PM: Police at the scene are not commenting. Meantime, we’re checking with SFD regarding the victim’s condition when transported to the hospital.
9:18 PM: SFD tells us the victim – now described as “approximately 29” – was in stable condition when taken to Harborview. (Archived audio adds the extra detail that he was shot in the left shoulder with a shotgun.)
9:31 PM: One additional detail from SPD spokesperson Det. Valerie Carson – “Sounds like the victim and the suspects had a confrontation/altercation before the shooting.”
11:07 PM: From the SPD Blotter post about this shooting and another (apparently unrelated) shooting elsewhere in the city tonight:
According to the victim and witnesses, a group of several men approached the victim in a car and confronted him. Then, as the suspects left in their car, one of them fired out the window at the victim. Police recovered 12-gauge shotgun shell casings at the scene.
Police are at Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook on Beach Drive after what is believed to be a death by suicide. The original call around 5:40 am was for a possible shooting; SFD’s resulting “scenes of violence” response was quickly canceled because the person was dead. Final determination will be up to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, and that’s who police told us they were waiting for, when we went to check after receiving a tip.
If you or someone you know is contemplating self-harm, you can get help 24/7 via the new 988 hotline.
Tomorrow at 9:30 am, the City Council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee, chaired by West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold, gets its quarterly report on Seattle Police staffing. “Unprecedented separation numbers have continued into 2022,” the presentation prepared for the meeting notes. Through the first half of the year, SPD had lost 109 more officers, and hired 30. The number of departures is close to the 125 originally projected for the entire year.
When the first-quarter report was presented in April, we reported here that Southwest Precinct sworn-staffing numbers had dropped more than any other precinct. The second-quarter report shows the precinct – which covers West Seattle and South Park – has regained what it had lost since last year.
As of the end of June, the new report shows, SW officers and sergeants totaled 65 sworn staff, up from 58 at the end of the first quarter. 65 is the number the precinct had at the end of 2021’s first quarter. Citywide, though, precincts’ total staff has dropped again, from 545 citywide at the end of the first quarter to 539 at the end of the second quarter. That’s more than 20 percent down from two years ago, when precinct staffing citywide totaled 677.
Departures have cost the department monetarily too – the documents for tomorrow’s briefing say that halfway through the year, SPD had spent two-thirds of the year’s budget for separation pay.
The meeting documents also cover some other SPD stats, such as response times dating back to 2019. The presentation notes that “median values [half sooner, half later] are the same or better everywhere except the Southwest Precinct.” One example – median response teams for Priority 1 calls – the most serious crime/life-safety issues – have gone up here from six and a half minutes in 2019 to eight and a half minutes now. (Seven minutes is what SPD is supposed to be aiming for.)
You can watch the presentation/discussion – and/or comment on the meeting – at 9:30 am tomorrow, The agenda explains how; the livestream will be on Seattle Channel.
10:47 PM: Seattle Fire and Police are arriving at 26th/Barton for a report of a person on board a Metro bus with a gunshot wound to the arm. Whether they were shot aboard the bus isn’t clear; police had been on their way to check out a report of shots heard at another location when this call came in.
11:07 PM: Thanks to Regina for the photo. The victim, whose wound is in the forearm, is being taken to Harborview. Meantime, a texter reports they live near Westwood and heard the shots” and adds, “A man who was on the bus told us that the shooter was intoxicated and had been arguing with the victim, then pulled a gun and shot 4 times into the bus. Unclear if the shooter was still on the bus or had exited.”
11:45 PM: They’ve been searching with a K-9 team, and now it appears the Guardian One helicopter is headed this way to help look, too.
3 AM NOTE: No further information tonight; we’re following up later this morning.
ADDED THURSDAY: The King County Sheriff’s Office (which includes Metro Transit Police) is handling the investigation and says there’s nothing additional to report, aside from confirming no one’s been arrested. SFD says the victim is a 26-year-old man, in stable condition when taken to the hospital.
Before the elections next year for Seattle’s seven by-district City Council seats, the boundaries for those seven districts will be redrawn, to reflect population changes. For months, a volunteer commission has been working on drafting new boundaries – we reported on their initial four draft maps in February. Now the commission, chaired by Admiral resident and former mayor Greg Nickels, has come up with one final draft, and is seeking opinions. Above is the section including the proposed new boundaries for District 1, which currently spans West Seattle and South Park, but would expand to add SODO, Georgetown, and part of downtown. See the full citywide draft map here in PDF, or here in an interactive format. From the city’s announcement:
Over the past five months, the Commission has hosted or participated in more than 50 community information sessions, a community survey, and seven public forums to gather feedback from the public about the redistricting process and its potential impact on neighborhoods. This process has resulted in the Commission adopting a draft map of new City Council District boundaries. Members of the public are invited to submit public comment on the draft map and its proposed district boundaries. …
The Commission’s draft map was generated at an open public meeting of the Seattle Redistricting Commission on August 2 and was informed by the public comments submitted over the last five months. The map follows City Charter and state-mandated criteria using geographic information system (GIS) expertise and 2020 Census data to draw new boundaries and establish districts that are compact, contiguous, and approximately equal in population. The map also accounts for additional factors such as – to the extent practical – following existing district boundaries, recognizing waterways and geographic boundaries, and preserving Seattle’s existing communities and neighborhoods.
Public Comment
A discussion of the final draft map will now begin and both public comment and participation are requested by the Seattle Redistricting Commission. Members of the public can review the final draft map and offer feedback at seattle.gov/redistricting/how-to-participate.
The designated public comment period is open from (today) until the date the Commission files the final district plan, which is currently scheduled to be November 8, 2022, and shall be no later than November 15, 2022.
If you would like to obtain a physical copy of the draft map, please contact Logan Drummond at Logan.Drummond@seattle.gov. You can also find a copy at the customer service desk in Seattle City Hall, located at 600 Fourth Avenue.
Public comment can be made:
In-person at one of three Public Forums
–Public Forum #1: Tuesday, August 9th, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Physical Location: Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, Boards & Commissions Room L280
Virtual Link: us06web.zoom.us/j/84697105761
-Public Forum #2: September – date and time TBD
-Public Forum #3: October – date and time TBD
-In-person at any regularly scheduled Seattle Redistricting Commission meeting. Check the Seattle Redistricting Commission website for dates and times.
-In writing using the Seattle Redistricting Commission’s public comment submission form.If you would like more information or to request interpretation services for any of the public forums, please contact Elsa Batres-Boni at Elsa.Batres-Boni@seattle.gov or 206-256-6198.
To compare the proposed boundaries with the current ones – which reflect how the districts were drawn for the first by-district elections in 2015 – see the current map here.
You might have heard about what police called a “road rage” shooting death on 4th Avenue South near Costco one week ago.
We now know the 68-year-old man who was killed, Bob Jensen, had deep roots in West Seattle.
The man who shot and killed him called 911 to report what he’d done. But police haven’t arrested him – they’re looking for more witnesses to help them clarify what happened and whether it was a crime.
Mr. Jensen’s longtime friend David Katt tells WSB he had just seen him the preceding Saturday, at their 50-year reunion for Chief Sealth‘s Class of 1972 – Mr. Jensen, he says, was also an alum of Fauntleroy Elementary and Denny Junior High – so old-school Seattle, he was a “Patches Pal,” as the photo at right underscores. According to Katt, Mr. Jensen cared daily for his elderly mother, “bought groceries for his 96-year-old neighbor, volunteered at the Hydroplane Museum, Ski Patrol … (and was) loved by many in the West Seattle community. We are searching for answers. The lack of an arrest is incomprehensible.”
Police say they got the call at 10:13 am last Thursday (July 21st), that a man had been shot in the 4400 block of 4th Avenue South. They found Mr. Jensen, who had been shot in the abdomen. He died at Harborview Medical Center. One of the 911 calls came from the 38-year-old man who shot him, who police say “remained on scene to provide a statement.” Police say witnesses reported the two men “had been involved in a road-rage incident that escalated to a confrontation, and then a shooting.” They seized the other man’s gun as evidence, but did not arrest him.
Now, they’re looking for more people who may have seen the shooting. Their update says, “There were many vehicles stopped on 4th Avenue South when the shooting occurred, and detectives believe the occupants of those vehicles may include witnesses. Nearby surveillance camera footage shows multiple cars in the area — including vehicles similar to a Lexus SUV, a Toyota Highlander, and a Toyota RAV4.” Here’s an image they’re circulating:
The police call for witnesses says, “If you were in any of the cars identified in these photos, or were stopped in traffic nearby and witnessed any portion of this incident, please call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000 or email SPD_homicide@seattle.gov.”
Mr. Jensen’s friends are hoping for information too, to know what could possibly have happened that led to the violent death of a man they knew as selfless: “Bob was a very skilled carpenter, plumber, welder, electrician. Would work oftentimes for no fee,” says Katt, who adds that his understanding is that Mr. Jensen was unarmed. Police have not released further details about the reported circumstances.
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