West Seattle, Washington
11 Wednesday
We received multiple reports – and police dispatchers reported multiple calls – of possible gunfire near 16th/Roxbury, Police are checking the area but so far haven’t found any evidence (casings, witnesses, etc.).
Here are the toplines from the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s first meeting since October:
CRIME TRENDS: Southwest Precinct crime overall was down almost five percent in 2019 from 2018, said the precinct’s operations commander, Lt. Steve Strand. They’re hoping to repeat that in 2020. Lt. Strand stressed the importance of reporting all crime so they know what’s happening and where to focus patrols. (If it’s happening now, call 911; if not, most crimes can be reported online – go here.)
This month’s 34th District Democrats meeting featured a panel discussion spotlighting hate crimes in our state. The discussion was introduced by the 34th DDs’ state committeeman Chris Porter, who explained that the escalating problem of hate crimes has long bothered him. We might be “in denial about how at-our-front-doors this is,” Porter explained. Last year, he said, SPD data showed a record number of hate crimes reported in the city. He added that he “was horrified” to find that the state where he’s lived for 15 years is #4 in the nation for hate crimes. (Video note: His introduction, slowed by a bit of technical trouble, goes to 17:30, and then the panel discussion begins.) Participants, screen left to right, were Ximena Velázquez-Arenas from the state Attorney General’s Office and Monisha Harrell from Equal Rights Washington. They covered many facets of the problem, including trends and why these crimes too often go unreported. Here’s how to report hate crimes in Seattle.
The 34th District Democrats meet 2nd Wednesdays most months, 6:30 pm socializing and 7 pm meeting, at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Watch 34dems.org for information between meetings.
(Texted photo)
Thanks for the tips about a big police response in a Gatewood alley near Myrtle Reservoir Park. Here’s what we know via radio monitoring and checking with SPD media relations: This started with someone calling in a suspicious person in a vehicle idling in an alley. There was a suspicion the man had a gun in the car, so that called for a heavier response to approach and get him out. For a while he wasn’t responding, but eventually he left the car and was detained. The investigation continues.
Just tweeted by Seattle Police, who say they do NOT have a photo:
Missing: Mario Sanchez, 71 years old
Last seen in the 6300 block High Point Dr SW.
Wearing blue striped shirt, khaki pants, black jacket and black shoes.
May have taken Metro bus from the area. Please call 911 if seen.
4:50 PM: SPD has confirmed that the missing teen was found safe.
ORIGINAL 10:44 AM POST:Read More
(SFD response at Safeway; photo by Christopher Boffoli)
10:52 PM: Police are searching for a suspect after a stabbing was reported in the Admiral area. The victim, a 19-year-old reported to have a stab wound in the back, is at Admiral Safeway – so that’s where Seattle Fire is responding to – but the attack – possibly a robbery attempt – was reported near 46th/Stevens. More as we get it.
10:58 PM: No clear description of a suspect. Police are now saying via emergency radio that it appears to have been an assault, not a robbery attempt. They’re still trying to get more information on exactly where it happened; the initial 46th/Stevens report was from one passerby.
11:07 PM: Police are searching with a K-9 in the 45th/46th area. Meantime, the victim has been taken to Harborview Medical Center.
11:16 PM: Christopher Boffoli is at Safeway covering this for WSB and learned that a second male victim is being treated for a “small puncture wound to the back.” He will be transported by private ambulance.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
11:31 PM: Christopher talked with SPD at the scene. Both victims are teenagers; neither has life-threatening wounds. Police are still trying to sort out the circumstances and location, but have now cleared the Safeway vicinity, which is where the victims went to call for help..
(WSB photos)
For all the opportunities to get Santa photos in West Seattle, dozens of local kids also had the chance for a photo with The Grinch. That was part of the festivities during this morning’s “Shop With A Cop” event at Westwood Village Target.
Seattle Police officers teamed up with dozens of students to do some holiday shopping.
This is the result of a partnership between Target, SPD, the Seattle Police Foundation, and The If Project.
Today’s event was bigger than some we’ve covered before – SPD says more than 60 kids participated.
Received via email:
Warning for females working in West Seattle.
Intended Sexual assault incident occurred on Thursday, December 5th at approximately 9:30 am on the 6500 block of California Ave SW.
Suspect is 6’2/4” in height, physically fit, approx mid-40s, African American, balding and has worn baseball caps at times. Targets shorter, Caucasian women in their place of business or in parking lots.
Has not been caught at this time but there is an active investigation to find him. If you have had any suspicions of this person or have photos, please contact the West Seattle police. People coming forward is one of the main ways he is being tracked and will be caught.
The Southwest Precinct number is 206-733-9800.
EDITOR’S NOTE, JANUARY 13: We tried repeatedly to verify with police that an investigation was under way. They were unable to. And then finally we were told this turned out to be a hoax. Publishing it without evidence of a police report was a departure from our usual policy so we apologize for that.
4:52 PM: Thanks for the tips about police “in tactical gear” chasing a suspect just south of Admiral/California. So far as we know, this is a warrant arrest. An SFD engine was dispatched because the suspect claimed to have gotten hurt in the process. Working to find out more.
5:32 PM: The scene was clear when we got there, so we won’t be able to find out anything more until tomorrow.
ADDED 10:10 AM MONDAY: A commenter said last night that this was an arrest of another robbery-spree suspect; a check of the jail register this morning confirms that (updated) one of the additional potential suspects named in court documents was indeed booked last night. We’re asking SPD for confirmation about whether a “flashbang” – used in some warrant/standoff situations – is what led to the “explosion” noise some reported last night.
11:12 AM: SPD confirms that what was heard was a noise-making device used by SWAT. The warrant on which the 19-year-old suspect is being held, so far, actually is related to a case from last year. Meantime, today is the rush-charging deadline for the two “spree” suspects arrested Friday so we’ll have a separate update later.
Next Saturday, 10 am-1 pm, women of all ages are invited to the next free personal-safety class at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). It’s not self-defense training – it’s a lecture/faciltated discussion, led by female SPD officers. From the reminder sent by the precinct’s Crime-Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner:
Our class goals:
-Know the important role your instincts and gut reactions play
-Discover potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them
-Learn how to make a safety plan
-Decrease the odds of becoming a victim
It’s recommended for ages 14 and up. If you’re interested, RSVP here.
Thanks for the tips. Police are at the Longfellow Creek P-Patch, just east of Chief Sealth International High School, because a body was found there this morning. They describe the person as an “adult male” who is suspected to have died by suicide.
A van from the Medical Examiner’s Office has just arrived to take the body, which was found behind the P-Patch’s shed.
As always when we report on suicide, we want to remind you that there’s 24/7 help for anyone contemplating self-harm – 206-461-3222.(added) You also can reach a crisis counselor by texting 741741.
7:06 PM: We’re getting some questions about Guardian One over North Delridge. They’re backing up SPD as they check out a suspicious car pulled over at Delridge/Andover.
7:20 PM: The scene cleared before we arrived.
7:41 PM: Guardian One made note of its assistance via Twitter:
Assisted @SeattlePD with a vehicle stop near Delridge and Andover. pic.twitter.com/M2xHdRXbGs
— KCSOAirsupport (@KCSOAirsupport) December 4, 2019
West Seattle Crime Watch miscellany tonight:
TREE THIEF: Got a call this evening from a Genesee Hill resident whose out-of-town visitors had a rude surprise. They bought a tree to take to Olympia and left it tied atop their car in the driveway overnight. This morning … no tree. Their saddened host wanted to warn everyone about this Grinchy theft.
TWO NOTES: We received a LOT of tips/questions about a full-code SPD response headed northbound around 6 pm. First – we wanted to thank everyone for the tips (text/voice 206-293-6302 any time) as that’s often how we get first word of something. But this time, we heard the dispatch, and as we told everyone who messaged us – it was called in as a possible burglary, west of The Junction, but turned out to be a a false alarm…. Right after that, an incident in The Junction was NOT a false alarm – a shoplifting suspect was caught and arrested near Junction TrueValue at 44th/Edmunds. No other details.
2:19 PM: Police are investigating a shooting in the 9000 block of 18th SW. They report “one male victim injured.” More as we get it.
2:34 PM: Police tell us at the scene that the victim’s injuries are not life-threatening. The shooting was the result of a robbery somewhere nearby – the victim made it to a construction site and called for help.
3:31 PM: Still no one in custody. No description made public, either.
3:55 PM: A bit more info from SPD: They say the victim is 24 years old and was shot while “delivering an item sold on a secondhand goods website.”
(WSB photo)
Police are investigating a robbery that happened a short time ago at the Lucky 5 ga station/mini-mart (35th/Henderson). Officers have told the dispatcher that witnesses say the robbers, wearing masks or bandanas, got away in a gray or tan SUV, possibly an early 2000s Toyota Camry, last seen eastbound on Henderson, with the passenger-side taillight turned out. The vehicle is believed to have four people inside.
(October 25th WSB photo)
Four weeks after Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s most-recent walking tour in West Seattle, she’s announced that two local areas are part of “extra holiday patrols” planned by Seattle Police. From a news release just sent by the mayor’s office:
To help enhance public safety for Seattle residents and visitors during the holiday season, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Chief of Police Carmen Best announced today that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) will begin extra holiday patrols in nine areas across Seattle on November 30 and continue them through December. SPD will also deploy specific operational plans and patrols on both November 29 (Black Friday) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve) …
… Neighborhoods that see high volume of holiday shoppers and holiday events with emphasis patrols will include:
Ballard
Downtown retail core between 3rd and 6th Avenues between Olive and Union
Capitol Hill
Fremont
Columbia City
University Village
University District
Westwood Village/Roxhill Park
West Seattle Junction/California Ave SWResidents and visitors in areas with extra holiday patrols can expect to see an increased presence by SPD officers both on foot and on bikes.
Earlier this year, Mayor Durkan and Chief Best announced pre-summer and summer emphasis programs to improve public safety and address maintenance needs in neighborhoods across Seattle.
Emphasis patrols are a recognized practice in police departments across the country and an evidence-based strategy to fight crime. They are also a decades-long strategy in Seattle.
In 2019, the emphasis patrols, combined with the work of City departments to address maintenance needs, showed positive results. Officers in emphasis zones made contact with hundreds of individuals, offering services, referrals to Law Enforcement Assisted-Diversion (LEAD), warnings, and citations. Residents have reported increased visibility by SPD officers.
Holiday emphasis patrols will not reduce regular SPD and City of Seattle operations, including police patrols and criminal investigations throughout Seattle; regular operations and criminal investigations will continue. SPD will continue to evaluate the impact to understand continued and future deployments in those and other areas.
As part of her 2020 Proposed Budget currently being considered by City Council, Mayor Durkan proposed including $847,000 to continue those community-based emphasis patrols at 2019 levels in 2020.
As of November 20, 2019, Citywide crime is down six percent compared to the same time in 2018.
These won’t be the first such patrols in those areas of West Seattle – precinct leadership has mentioned them multiple times before in local community meetings.
8:50 PM: Just broadcast on police radio – the missing 12-year-old’s been found.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:55 PM: Read More
Thanks for the tips about a police search in and around Fauntleroy Park. We went over to find out what it was about and talked with the person whose report led to the search. He said he was doing volunteer work in the wooded area just east of the Fauntleroy Church lot when he happened onto a man camping there. When he told the man he wasn’t supposed to be there, he told us, the man indicated both verbally and with a gesture that he was armed and wanted to left alone. The man who’d been threatened subsequently called 911. so far, police have not found the suspect. (And in case you are in the area and wondering, the SFD medic response in the church lot is completely unrelated.)
3:25 AM: Police investigating reports of suspected gunfire along Harbor Avenue SW have found at least four shell casings, according to radio communication. We haven’t heard exactly where; their search had included the Salty’s/Seacrest vicinity.
3:35 AM: Officers also have reported finding an unoccupied vehicle that might be related, and blood nearby, but so far no victim.
Two items in West Seattle Crime Watch:
HIT-RUN: Anybody know who might have done that to Rebecca’s car in Seaview?
She says, “Came out (Thursday) morning to find my car had been hit while parked overnight in front of my house on 45th between Juneau and Findlay. I think I heard something (Wednesday night) around 9:30 pm. I’m interested if anyone has any information or saw / heard anything.” It’s been reported to police.
SUSPECTED GUNFIRE: We received multiple questions this morning about possible gunshots heard around quarter to 4 this morning near 40th/Edmunds, so we checked with police. They tell us they got multiple calls: “Officers searched the area, no damage, no evidence located.”
8:59 PM: Police are investigating a shooting reported at 15th SW/SW Holden, and they’re closing Holden after finding at least two shell casings. One person is reported to be injured, but she’s not at the scene – she either was in, or got into, a car, and is at 4th/Michigan, just off the north end of the 1st Avenue S. Bridge.
9:09 PM: Police are searching the area near the shooting scene, with a K9 team. Meantime, the victim, reported to have been shot in the hip, is being taken to Harborview Medical Center.
9:32 PM: Police say the victim’s injuries are not life-threatening. They expect to reopen Holden shortly.
ADDED MONDAY MORNING: SFD tells us the victim is a 20-year-old woman, assessed as being in stable condition when taken to the hospital.
7:26 PM: Busy night for police. Now they’re on a reported hit-run at 35th/Morgan, with a possible suspect/vehicle located a few blocks east, according to radio communication. Avoid that stretch of Morgan for a while.
7:58 PM: Police have 1 person in custody.
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