West Seattle, Washington
16 Monday
After questions about that white truck facing uphill in the downhill lanes of SW Morgan near 40th SW, we went over to check. Police say the driver lost control of the truck’s forward gears several blocks east – the first report was from 31st/Sylvan – and tried traveling in reverse gear for a while, but that didn’t work out too well, as some trees and other vehicles were hit along the way, including the purple-and-gold van in the photo. No injuries reported; police were directing traffic until the truck could be moved.
First – as reported here Saturday morning – police released still images of a person they say is the suspect they’re seeking in Thursday night’s High Point bus-stop murder. This morning, they have released video from Metro bus security cameras. Police said Friday that they believe the 37-year-old victim (who has not yet been publicly identified) and his killer were involved in a “disturbance” on board before exiting the bus on the west side of the 35th and Morgan intersection, where the shooting happened. Here’s the description of the suspect: “16-21 years old, 5’7” to 5’9”, has a thin build, and was last seen wearing a dark gray hoody & jeans.” If you have any info on his identity, the SPD tipline is 206-233-5000, or call 911.
Thanks for the texts about the Medical Examiner and police near 55th/Alki earlier this morning, after someone was found dead on the beach. The scene was cleared by the time we got there but we’ve since been able to confirm with police that they believe this was a death by suicide. No other details except that there was an initial medical call to the area at 6:25 am.
As always, when we report a case of suicide, we include a reminder that the Crisis Clinic has a 24-hour hotline, 206-461-3222.
(Photo tweeted by @jpaulsea)
NOON: Since the 6 am hour, we’ve been covering a standoff that’s led police to close off much of Harbor Avenue SW, between the bridge and California Way. A man broke into one of the vacant buildings at the old Sea-Way site around 3 am. He has refused to surrender. For a while he was inside; you cannot clearly see him in the reader photo above, but for some time he has been outside one building’s window, on an awning/ledge section. The SWAT team and negotiators have been on site for hours trying to talk him into giving up; he’s reported to be wielding a foot-long piece of broken glass as well as a screwdriver. Harbor remains closed at the bridge and at California Way. Some bicyclists have reported that the path was closed as well as the road. Our photographer, who went to the scene for a while early this morning, is back there now so we’ll have updates from him as well as via scanner.
(WSB photo)
12:23 PM: Our crew reports this is coming to an end. The man apparently tried to bolt, and was taken into custody.
12:28 PM: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis tells us at the scene that they’ll get Harbor Avenue reopened as fast as they can – hopefully within 15 minutes or so.
12:49 PM: Per scanner, reopening now. We will update with more photos and followup info a bit later.
2:20 PM: Two more photos added above, including the man as he came down from the ledge. It wasn’t clear from radio communication at the time whether he was being taken to Harborview for evaluation or directly to jail; SPD media relations says the former.
12:39 AM: Now there’s another “scenes of violence” callout, this time in the 2800 block of Harbor SW. Details to come.
12:45 AM: The call has closed.
ADDED: As noted in comments, this may be related to the later Harbor Avenue standoff after all. We hope to be able to check on that with police after the standoff is over.
Be part of shaping your nearest Microcommunity Policing Plan, while sharing your feedback about neighborhood crime, safety, and policing. You can do that by participating in one of the focus groups that will be conducted by Seattle University – SPD won’t be present, but will get the eventual findings. Here’s what’s coming up this month in West Seattle:
–High Point Community: 8/11, 2-3 pm, at High Point Library [3411 SW Raymond]
–Fauntleroy Community: 8/15, 5:30-6:30 pm, at Southwest Library [9010 35th SW]
–Morgan Junction Community: 8/19, 3-4 pm, at High Point Library
–Commercial Harbor Island Community: 8/20, 6-7 pm, at Delridge Library [5423 Delridge Way SW]
–Pigeon Point Community: 8/25, 11:30-12:30 pm, at Delridge Library
–Commercial Duwamish Community: 8/27, 6-7 pm, at Delridge Library
–Alki Community: 8/29, 6-7 pm, at West Seattle Library [2306 42nd SW]
You can contact the Southwest Precinct‘s Seattle U intern Tiana Lee with questions, and to RSVP, at leet12@seattleu.edu
6:03 PM: Thanks for the tips. A police search in Sunrise Heights followed a 2-car crash at 31st and Elmgrove. Readers report one person was taken to the hospital and the other driver bolted, which led to the search.
6:23 PM: We’re in the area. Elmgrove is blocked off, with police cars and crime-scene tape. Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives are here; police confirm one driver was transported to the hospital and the other is being sought.
Police say the car below is the one whose driver was taken to the hospital; they’re looking for the driver of the one above.
They expect Elmgrove will be closed another hour or so.
7:10 PM: Updated which car was which, after neighbors corrected us.
8:17 PM: We asked SFD about the driver taken to the hospital. Tge man’s believed to be in his early 30s and his injuries were not life-threatening.
(Photo courtesy Pete Spalding. P.S. For Delridge Day info, here’s our most-recent update!)
Clever sign like that one from Pigeon Point NOT required – but if you want to close a (non-arterial) street for your Night Out block party tomorrow night, you have until 5 pm today to register it. Just go here. And you can go here to find templates for street-closure signs and neighborhood invitations. If you won’t be at your own block/building party – remember that as of last count, more than 260 parties were registered in this area, so be mindful of many closed side streets between 6-9 pm tomorrow!
(Slide from presentation to committee)
The vote was 4-0 minutes ago as the City Council’s Civic Development, Public Assets, and Native Communities Committee gave their approval to buying a 5,600-square-foot parcel for expansion of the Orchard Street Ravine. We previewed the proposal in this story; if the full Council gives final approval next Monday, the site at 7137 38th SW (shown on this map)will be bought with $235,000 in Park District levy money. The presentation at today’s meeting was relatively short; earlier, as expected, several neighbors and community advocates spoke in favor of the purchase. (4:59 PM UPDATE: Here’s the Seattle Channel video – this is the last item, 46 minutes in.) The councilmembers present and voting yes today were committee chair Debora Juarez, Lorena González, Sally Bagshaw, and Lisa Herbold, who said as the meeting wrapped up that she’d heard another OSR neighbor is interested in donating/selling land, and Seattle Parks reps confirmed they’re looking into that.
Less than a week until Night Out – next Tuesday is the night when neighborhoods around the nation have block/building/etc. parties to celebrate community and safety. We checked in with Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner, who says 266 Night Out events are registered so far in our area (still the second-highest total in the city, though SW is the smallest precinct). If you want to close a (non-arterial) street and/or request a Night Out visit by public-safety personnel, register your event ASAP (you have until Monday afternoon, but why procrastinate?) – just go here. If you’re already registered, that page is also where you can download invitations, street-closure signs, and other Night Out collateral.
(WSB photo)
7:15 PM: We’ve just arrived at 31st SW and SW 106th in Arbor Heights, where we heard via scanner that police were setting up a command post and calling for the mobile precinct, but didn’t hear why, so we headed out to see what we could find out. It’s a “person in crisis” situation but it’s in the process of getting resolved – the person in question is now in custody.
7:23 PM: The lieutenant at the scene tells us that the person is going to be taken to the hospital by private (AMR) ambulance for an evaluation – as is common in “person in crisis” situations – and the police response will be winding down.
(WSB photo)
6:03 PM: Now police and fire are at the scene of another shooting incident in southeast West Seattle, with someone found outside the Arrowhead Gardens senior-apartments complex (9200 2nd SW) with what is reported to be a gunshot wound to the arm. No other info yet; we’re headed to that scene.
6:23 PM: As you probably know, this scene is not far from the earlier homicide on 1st Avenue S. Though the victim here does not have life-threatening wounds, a Homicide Unit detective is here, and they will only say they are looking to see whether the two incidents might be related. The victim here, meantime, has two wounds to the arm; he will be taken to the hospital by private (AMR) ambulance.
We’ve received several questions about a police response on Puget Ridge, west of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). There was briefly a report of a missing child. The child is reported to have been found and is safe. There was a report that the child had possibly been seen walking with someone he didn’t know and so police have been looking for that person. That’s all we know at this point but will check back with police later.
(WSB photo: Part of memorial at stabbing scene)
Across Delridge from the scene of Friday night’s deadly stabbing of 34-year-old Michael Abay, the Southwest Precinct’s second-in-command has just provided a short update on the case. Asked to speak to those gathered for a 34th District State Senate candidates’ forum (separate forum story later), Lt. Steve Strand said police believe Abay was “targeted.” He did not comment on why. He also said that while they haven’t identified a suspect yet, he believes they will. Mr. Abay’s death was the third homicide case of the year in West Seattle and police have described all three as “targeted.”
All set for a block (or building, or …) party to celebrate Night Out? It’s exactly two weeks away – Tuesday, August 7th. If you want to close the street for your party, you need to register with Seattle Police, and Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner provides the link – just go here. Side note: Though the SW Precinct is the smallest in the city, Jennifer says it had the second-highest number of parties signed up as of a few days ago!
P.S. We’ll be out stopping by Night Out parties as always – if you wouldn’t mind us stopping by yours for a photo, please e-mail us the location, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(WSB photos)
9:53 PM: Police are converging on the vicinity of 16th and Cambridge, where someone is reported – per radio communication – to have been found stabbed to death. No one’s in custody so far.
10:02 PM: The Guardian One helicopter is joining the search, as is at least one Seattle Police K9 team.
10:11 PM: SFD at the scene confirms to our crew that the victim is dead and male.
10:25 PM: This is the third homicide case of the year in West Seattle, after the June stabbing of Jonathan Pecina on Alki Avenue SW and the May 8th shooting of Lorenzo Marr at West Seattle Stadium. No arrests reported in either of those cases.
10:44 PM: We’ve added photos from the scene. Still no one in custody. We asked police about the circumstances of the original call on this – they say it was phoned in to 911 as someone down in the street, and they arrived before SFD, to discover the person was dead.
SATURDAY MORNING, 9:23 AM: Just saw SW Precinct Operations Lt. Steve Strand in the staging zone for the Grand Parade and asked him if there had been an arrest overnight. Answer: No.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: A summary is now on SPD Blotter but the only information not already reported here is that the victim was 34 years old. If you have information, you’re asked to call SPD’s tip line at 206-233-5000.
11:23 PM: A report of gunfire in Westwood has police searching for up to five suspects. Per scanner, they were most recently reported to have fled behind the 35th/Barton 7-11 southbound and then westbound. A K-9 team is joining the search. The person reported to have fired one shot is described as a young “light-skinned black male” wearing a “sparkly red jacket.” No injuries reported.
11:29 PM: The gunshot reportedly happened near the Southwest Library (35th/Henderson). Also, the Guardian One helicopter is joining the search.
11:35 PM: Per radio communication, this involved someone “chasing (the suspects) with a two-by-four” when one “turned around and shot at” that person.
11:49 PM: The search is scaling down; they’ve exhausted the possibilities and there are other pending calls.
ADDED THURSDAY AFTERNOON: We have obtained the report narrative from SPD. The person who said he was fired at told police that he was chasing the suspects because they had assaulted his girlfriend. He said the two of them are squatting in an empty house in the 9000 block of 35th SW. She was walking in the alley and around the 34th/Barton P-Patch, looking for cigarette butts, when she encountered the suspects. One asked her for cigarettes; she said she had none and was looking for them herself. Then, the boyfriend told police, the suspects called her names, punched her in the face, knocked her down, and kicked her. She screamed for help; her boyfriend went to the house where they were squatting, got a 2 x 4, and chased the suspects after calling 911. That’s when one turned and shot at him, he said, as they were running southbound behind the 35th/Barton 7-11. He said he lost track of them at that point. While he insisted that’s where the shot was fired, police did not find a shell casing nor any other evidence of gunfire. Nearby residents also said they heard the shot. As we reported last night, helicopter and K9 assisted in the subsequent search, but no one was found.
That’s free for you to borrow and use … just in case. Southwest Precinct Crime-Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner explains:
Due to a continued increase in burglaries over the last few months- the SW Precinct would like to remind our community members that you can rent a professional engraver from the SW Precinct for free!
These engravers allow you to mark your property (such as tools, bicycles and electronics) with an identifying number- such as your Driver’s License number. Then if/when your items are stolen- you are able to report to law enforcement that it was marked. These markings assist the Seattle Police Department in getting recovered property back to victims, as well as aid with investigations.
If you are interested in renting an engraver- please stop by the SW Precinct (2300 SW Webster St.) and speak with the desk officer. Remember the SW Precinct is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Please also keep in mind that I, as your SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, offer free residential and commercial safety/security assessments! Contact me directly for more information and for scheduling.
jennifer.danner@seattle.gov is the best way to reach her. Meantime, whether you choose to borrow/use the engraver or not, she also recommends you keep a home inventory – here’s a template that can help.
(10:34 am: Clicking “play” should take you to the archived video of what was a live feed from announcement at City Hall)
9:47 AM: Ten days after she was announced as back in the running for the permanent job, Interim Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best is about to get it. That’s according to a media advisory from the mayor’s office, which says Mayor Durkan will make the announcement at 10 am. We’ll add the official news release when it’s available.
10:12 AM: We have the live announcement going in a stream from City Hall above right now. Durkan says “everybody knows” Chief Best and knows she can do the job. “She knows our city and our officers.” Chief Best says, “I know great things are ahead” and says she is “incredibly grateful for the opportunity.”
10:21 AM: The speeches are over and now it’s question time. First, the mayor announced there’s a 3:30 pm meet-and-greet at City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes Room this afternoon for anyone who wants to meet the new chief (who does still need to be confirmed by the council), and she says they’ll be touring the city, visiting precinct roll calls, etc.
10:32 AM: The announcement event is over. The video window above should now take you to the archived video.
12:14 PM: After the jump (if you’re reading from our home page), the official news release:
That photo is from one of several people who messaged to ask/tip us about a big police response near Delridge/Brandon this past hour. We headed out to find out, but the police had all cleared the scene by the time we arrived, so we stopped at the Southwest Precinct to ask at the front desk. The log notation: Very loud argument between a man and woman, in or along the street. No injuries, as there was no aid dispatch. (Thanks again for the tips – 206-293-6302, text or voice, is the fastest way to reach us, 24/7.)
From Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner, another one of the occasional notifications that a Level 3 sex offender has moved into the area:
In an effort to keep you informed, and in our constant attempts to reduce future victimization, we want to let you know about one level 3 registered sex offender that has recently moved into a Southwest Precinct neighborhood.
Peter Schulte, a 69-year-old white male, is a level 3 registered sex offender who has recently moved to the 2700 block of California Ave SW in Seattle and is no longer under Department of Corrections supervision.
Detective Spong from the Seattle Police Department’s Sex Offender Detail is responsible for checking on this offender and verifying his address as long as he is residing there.
To learn more about this offender and to see his photo, please visit the King County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender website and search by their name. [Editor’s note: Here’s a direct link to the page with his photo.] You will also find personal safety tips and resources on this site.
If you have further questions about this offender, contact Michelle McRae of the Seattle Police Sex Offender Detail at 206-684-5581 or e-mail at michelle.mcrae@seattle.gov.
To register to receive an email alert whenever a published offender registers within one mile of your desired addresses, go to this link.
Level 3 sex offenders pose the highest risk to re-offend. It is normal to feel upset, angry and worried about a registered sex offender living in your community. The Community Notification Act of 1990 requires sex offenders to register in the community where they live. The law also allows local law enforcement to make the public aware about Level 2 and Level 3 offenders. Since these offenders have completed their sentences, they are free to live where they wish. Experts believe sex offenders are less likely to re-offend if they live and work in an environment free of harassment. Any actions taken against the listed sex offenders could result in arrest and prosecution as it is against the law to use this information in any way to threaten, intimidate or harass registered sex offenders. The SPD Sex offender detectives will check on these offenders every 3 months to verify our information.
The single most effective means of protecting your child is communication with your child. They have to feel comfortable discussing sensitive matters with you. Teach your children that they should not be asked to touch anyone in the bathing suit areas of their body or allow anyone to touch them in those areas. Teach them types of situations to avoid. It is not good enough to tell a child to avoid strangers. Please remember that children are most often molested by someone they or their parents know.
(WSB photo, February rally/march)
12:46 PM: Seattle Police have announced an arrest in the February murder of a 16-year-old boy in South Park. This was the deadly shooting that brought more than 100 people to a rally/march for peace days later. While the suspect is not yet charged in the murder, he is also jailed in connection with a $250,000 warrant in a case where charges have been filed, so we are publishing his name: 27-year-old Juan J. Macias. In the other case, he was charged in June with choking his girlfriend unconscious. We are checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to see if he is due for a bail hearing today; police say they arrested him in South Park on Saturday.
6:30 PM: Macias did have a bail hearing this afternoon. We don’t have documents yet but the jail register shows his bail now upped to $2,250,000.
Just in from the mayor’s office: One of the previously announced three finalists for Seattle Police Chief is out, Interim Chief Carmen Best is back in. Here’s the news release in its entirety:
Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced that former Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay formally withdrew from consideration for the role of Seattle Police Chief following conversations on police reform with Mayor Durkan. Mayor Durkan asked for the Competitive Exam to reconvene to choose an additional candidate, and following the convening, the assessors selected Interim Chief Carmen Best as an additional candidate. Interim Chief Best will join Eddie Frizell, Inspector, Minneapolis Police Department and Ely Reyes, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department as a finalist for the position.
“I met with former Chief McLay, reviewed his competitive exam materials, and have spoken with a number of individuals including the Mayor of Pittsburgh about his work. He understands the complexity of policing and has been a national leader on police reform. In our first conversation in June, he indicated that his strongest passion is in reform. The Seattle Police Department remains under federal court order and is in a critical two year compliance sustainment period. This upcoming week, Federal Judge Robart has called all parties to court for a status report, and I was briefed by the City Attorney and SPD ahead of the conference,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “One of my key priorities as Mayor has been to sustain reforms while continuing to build our nation-leading police department. I have been exploring a range of options to not just sustain reform, but continue to improve the department to meet the needs of our fast growing city. We need additional expertise to help the City in assessing our path forward under the Consent Decree and our work with the DOJ and the Monitoring Team. I talked with Chief McLay this past week and we agreed that assisting on reform efforts was the best way he could help Seattle.”
“As a law enforcement officer and former Chief of Police for the City of Pittsburgh, my passion has been on the processes for creating transformational change and organizational excellence. After a lot of thought about how I can make the biggest impact, and after conversations with my family and with Mayor Durkan over the last several weeks, it is clear to me that I can most effectively support Seattle’s continued reform efforts outside of the role of Chief of Police, which is why I’ve withdrawn from consideration to be the Seattle Police Department’s next Chief of Police. It was an honor to be considered for the Chief of Police role in one of America’s great cities, and I look forward to continue my conversations with Mayor Durkan and the City about how I can best support Seattle’s steps toward meaningful and lasting reform, grounded in a firm commitment to the best practices of 21st century policing,” said former Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay.
On Friday, Mayor Durkan asked the Seattle Department of Human Resources to reconvene the Competitive Exam process as specified in Section 2 and 3, Article 6 of the City Charter. On Saturday, the assessors reconvened using the same criteria: the nomination of candidates from the 25-person community-based Police Search Committee, the recommendations from the Search Committee and its co-chairs, information gathered during the recruitment and selection processes, and written responses to examination questions. The assessors recommended that Interim Chief Carmen best be added as an additional candidate for the Mayor to consider. You can find the Competitive Exam memo here.
This upcoming week, all candidates will do a series of community meetings and interviews with Mayor Durkan.
“As I begin the interview process, our next chief must be committed to public safety while continuing to build an accountable, diverse police department focused on meaningful and lasting reforms. I look forward to listening to the community and talking with all three candidates,” said Mayor Durkan.
In June and July, Mayor Durkan initially met with each of the candidates and the City conducted site visits to each of the cities. The site visit team included many members of the community including Mayor Burgess, Executive Director of the Chief Seattle Club Colleen Echohawk, Chinatown-International District Public Safety Advisor Sonny Nguyen, Pastor Lawrence Ricky Willis, United Black Christian Clergy and Asha Mohammed, Women’s Advocacy Center and Ian Warner, Legal Counsel to the Mayor and a former member of the Monitoring Team to the Consent Decree. The Mayor will have the site visit team do an equivalent review in Seattle in the coming days.
Previously, the 25 members of the Police Search Committee many of whom have extensive experience in criminal justice reform, collaborated with a national search firm to attract many qualified applicants from across the country. At the end of the community input process in late March, the Committee worked together to narrow the field of applicants. Five candidates were forwarded by the Police Selection Committee to participate in the Competitive Exam process. As required by the City Charter, the Competitive Exam process submitted three names to Mayor Durkan. You can read more about the full community engagement and search process here.
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