West Seattle, Washington
01 Sunday
Four months ago, we reported that a Harbor Avenue man was in the hospital after his third encounter with police in 24 hours – who were reported to have used a Taser on him after behavior that was described as a vandalism rampage in his own apartment building with a sword. Days later, two WSB commenters reported that the man had died; we were never able to get official information on that – but now, we’ve learned it’s true, via the county’s announcement that an inquest has been ordered:
King County Executive Dow Constantine today ordered an inquest into the death of Mike Chen, who died on or about September 10, 2012 following a confrontation with police outside his West Seattle apartment four days earlier.
According to a letter from the King County Prosecutor, Seattle Police responded to numerous call-outs involving Mr. Chen at a convenience store and at his apartment complex, both on Harbor Ave. SW. On Sept. 6, police responding to a call from Chen found him slumped on the ground with a sword in front of an apartment door at 3213 Harbor Avenue SW. Police say when Chen grabbed the sword and started to sit up, they tased him several times during a struggle, then administered CPR when Chen showed no pulse after being handcuffed and restrained. He was rushed to Harborview, where he died on or about Sept. 10.
7:11 PM: Police and fire are answering a call right now, at an apartment complex in the 2200 block of SW Holden. We’re on the way; more to come.
7:30 PM: Fire crews at the scene tell us a woman is injured and on her way to the hospital. Still working on other details.
7:34 PM: Both police and fire cleared the scene relatively quickly. We don’t know anything more about the circumstances but will add whatever we find out later.
10:25 PM UPDATE: According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, the injury was believed to be self-inflicted; the victim, now described as a juvenile female, is expected to recover.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” We skipped a roundup in mid-December, so there are several incidents from that time toward the end:
*On December 27th, officers were dispatched to a North Admiral apartment where an elderly man who needs a wheelchair had been beaten all over his body by his adult son. Dad also had a severe contusion over his left eye and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Son had fled the scene before officers arrived.
*On the 28th, on Marine Ave. SW, a man saw a stranger in a neighbor’s car. He pulled the man out (the suspect’s three friends scattered) and held him while he called 911. Before officers arrived, the friends returned. One punched the victim in the chin, causing him to let go of the suspect. The suspects were described as four thin white males, about 17-18 years of age, wearing all dark clothing.
*On the afternoon of the 30th, a car broke down on the lower West Seattle Bridge. The driver pushed it clear (though the vehicle was sparking and smoking) and then walked away, dropping a small handgun in a construction tool belt nearby. A bit later (after officers found a stun gun in a holster in the vehicle), a woman (claiming to be the driver’s girlfriend) and another man arrived. She gave officers the boyfriend’s name, but she was evasive and nervous. A records check showed that her boyfriend was a convicted felon (prohibited from having a gun) and was wanted on two warrants. The car was left at the scene and the weapons taken as evidence. The gun had a magazine loaded with five .22 caliber rounds.
*A dog walker called 911 after finding a shotgun in a wooded part of Me-Kwa-Mooks park on the 28th. An officer confiscated the firearm.
11 more summaries ahead:Read More
We’ve received a few calls asking what TV crews are doing at Westwood Village. Here’s what we’ve learned about the story, which you will likely see in various citywide media tonight: It involves the video above, made public by the lawyer representing a West Seattle man who was hit at Westwood Village two years ago by a police officer he had bitten. The video is from the dashboard camera of the officer’s patrol car.
It happened on December 29, 2010, outside the Marshall’s store, where police had stopped to check out an unoccupied car left at curbside with the engine running. Ahead, a statement and other documents that lawyer James Egan provided, plus a report with SPD’s comment:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
What Seattle Police Captain Joe Kessler has just done is almost unheard of, he says:
SPD commanders almost never return for an encore at a precinct they have led before.
Yet this week, two years and three months after he turned over command of West Seattle’s Southwest Precinct to Capt. Steve Paulsen, Capt. Kessler got it back, while his successor/predecessor moved on to lead the Beacon Hill-headquartered South Precinct.
“It’s like walking back into (your family’s) home after being away at college,” he observed.
We visited the precinct at Delridge and Webster Thursday to talk with Capt. Kessler about his return, what he’s been doing since leaving West Seattle, and what’s in store now that he’s back:
4:47 PM: What is reported to be a 2-car crash has Delridge blocked by the Southwest Precinct and Home Depot. According to scanner traffic, four people are hurt. We’ll have a crew at the scene shortly and will update.
(Added: This photo and next two, by Tony Bradley)
4:53 PM UPDATE: Police tell us the Mercedes was reported as stolen, with the suspected thief possibly linked to a burglary; that car hit the BMW, which was not involved. The suspect was among the injured.
5:13 PM UPDATE: Delridge is blocked all the way from Webster to Orchard. Meantime, a commenter wondered if the stolen Mercedes in the crash is the same one reported in our earlier Crime Watch report – our crew confirms it does appear to be the same make/model/color (late ’80s, 4-door, green) but we haven’t confirmed.
5:29 PM UPDATE: The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is on scene, and that would tend to mean the closure will last a while – probably a few hours. Meantime, police have provided more details: They started trying to stop the Mercedes on 35th; it headed south on Morgan/Sylvan Way, then after entering Delridge, fishtailed and hit the BMW. Police confirm, as we reported earlier from scanner traffic, that the suspect, who was alone in the stolen car, and the three people from the other car are all at Harborview Medical Center.
6:14 PM UPDATE: Photographer Tony Bradley – whose photos we’ve added to the story – confirms the license plate on the stolen car. Meantime, SPD Blotter now has an item; the number of victims differs from what we were told at the scene and heard in medical-radio traffic, but the report does add one detail: The burglary from which the stolen car’s driver was said to be fleeing was in the 4200 block of SW Graham – just a few blocks from where the car was taken this morning.
7:15 PM: Went by the scene a few minutes ago, and Delridge was still blocked, except for allowing cars to leave Arco/Home Depot/etc. and head northbound.
LATE-NIGHT P.S.: The road has fully reopened.
3:26 AM: We’re receiving multiple texts from Highland Park and Westwood from people who say they heard gunshots or fireworks a short time ago. One says they called 911 and were told multiple reports had been called in. No indication so far of anyone having been injured, nor word of any proof it was gunshots – let us know if you see police in your neighborhood. (Might be a coincidence, but we should also note that the solstice officially happened at 3:12 am. The scanner indicates similar sounds being heard in other parts of the city, and one in the north end already has been determined by police to have been fireworks.)
3:41 AM: Commenters are indicating it was apparently fireworks.
(September 2010 photo of Capts. Kessler & Paulsen, by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
After two years as commander of the Southwest Precinct, Captain Steve Paulsen has just announced he is being reassigned. On January 2nd, he takes over the South Precinct – and his Southwest Precinct predecessor Capt. Joe Kessler returns. Capt. Paulsen says:
I have truly enjoyed my time serving our folks of West Seattle and South Park the past few years. I can easily say that West Seattle is a great place to work and I will greatly miss my officers and residents that I have come to know and care about.
I am looking forward to new challenges with my next assignment. Just as in West Seattle/South Park, the Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, SODO and Georgetown each has their own identity as neighborhoods and I am excited to develop those relationships as well as those with my South Precinct police officers.
He describes Capt. Kessler – who left in September 2010 after 2 1/2 years to lead the West Precinct and then moved into a special role on the department’s ethics project – as “one of the best captains on the Seattle Police Department.”
(WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: New info added to end of story)
(Added 10:40 pm – photo from neighbor who reports casings found in her neighborhood)
FIRST REPORT, 9:45 PM: We’re getting multiple reader reports of possible gunshots heard in Highland Park – no shootings on the 911 medical-call log, though – and a helicopter (believed to be the law-enforcement Guardian One) is overhead. The scanner indicates police are investigating – so far they have not found anything.
9:56 PM: Co-publisher is in the area and says Guardian One has left. Meantime, police are still checking out various areas where people reported hearing the possible gunfire, but no indication they’ve found any evidence so far.
10:15 PM: Nothing new, and the scanner traffic on this has quieted down. Earlier via the radio, SPD was reported to have checked with the county to see if anything had happened on their side of the line – the answer was no. We’ll follow up a bit later to see if anything ever turned up.
10:39 PM: Just heard from a resident near 12th and Elmgrove, where she says casings have been found and police are searching for more evidence. Added the photo she sent (atop this story).
ADDED 10:15 AM MONDAY: Just checked with SPD spokesperson Det. Renee Witt, who says police recovered nine casings in all, in the 7900 block of 12th SW. No injuries or property damage reported. Police were told that a white car, possibly a Gran Prix, was seen with a passenger pointing a “rifle out of the window,” firing shots “into the air,” but police did not find the car or any suspects.
Just out of the WSB inbox, the latest newsletter from your local Seattle Police crime-prevention coordinator Mark Solomon – featuring always-valuable advice on preventing burglaries – including a focus on “trends” in how burglars choose their targets – with a p.s. about package theft. Read on:
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?”:
*A week ago Saturday, on 17th SW, a man described as someone known in the neighborhood for a dislike of dogs walked by a home where a dog was behind a fence. He stopped, pointed something at the dog, and started to walk away. The owner, thinking the man had taken the dog’s picture, wondered why. He caught up to the man, who complained that the dog was “always barking” and that he hadn’t used a camera but a device that emits sound waves that bother canines. He returned 15 minutes later, stood across the street from the home, glared at the dog’s owners and spent time studying their backyard. Concerned, the couple called 911. Officers visited the suspect, who lives around the corner. When he answered the door, officers noticed his lapel pin in the symbol of Hitler’s Schutzstaffel (“SS”). Their report states that the man was “immediately confrontational,” claiming the dog had jumped at him and that he would kill it. It was noted that he has a concealed-weapons permit. Officers suggested that since he hates dogs, he might want to avoid that block and that he should be careful about using devices that might injure an animal. The man’s response? “I’ll do as I please and go where I want to.”
*New scam: Someone calls, claims you bounced a check, and says you’ll be responsible for huge fines — and face arrest — unless you send a money order or provide the caller with your debit-card information. Do not do so. Just hang up.
Twelve more summaries ahead:
5:38 PM: Thanks for the reports of police rushing with lights and sirens – they’re headed to an “assault with weapons” call in the 5600 block of 42nd SW. More shortly.
5:42 PM: The call has “closed” on the Seattle Fire online 911 log. But we’ll still check with whomever we find at the scene.
5:46 PM: We’re told at the scene that while this went out as “assault with weapons,” it’s now believed to be self-inflicted. As we always mention in such cases: Crisis Clinic is there for 24-hour help, including their hotline at 206-461-3222.
FIRST REPORT, 11:46 PM: From the “in case you were wondering” file – Sheila and Michelle both messaged us to ask about possible gunshots around 9 pm, audible from Delridge/High Point, roughly the 6000 block or southward. Definitely no shooting victims anywhere, according to the comprehensive, real-time Seattle Fire 911 log (where you would invariably see a shooting noted as “assault with weapons”); we also checked with Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams to see if officers had been sent to look into this. His reply: “We had officers check the area, but they found nothing.”
SECOND REPORT, 3:03 AM: Now we’re checking on multiple reports of gunfire during some kind of fight/argument in The Junction. One person tweeted that it happened in or near the 4800 block of California SW. And from another person via e-mail:
> Two guys, one girl, seemed to be in their 20’s, fighting on the sidewalk, one guy notably louder. Things settled for a minute, then got loud again, culminating in a bang around 2:30. Shortly thereafter, police showed up. Part of the conversation I heard was that one guy pulled a gun, fired it in the air, and stormed off. Since then, at least four police cars have been cruising around, and things have quieted down.
Again in this case, no related medic calls on the SFD log. If we find out anything from police, we’ll add it.
Just back from the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. The transit discussion – which swerved back and forth across just about every imaginable bus-related issue that’s come up recently – will be in a story all its own. So we’ll start this Crime Watch roundup with the WSCPC meeting-opening briefing on crime trends, followed by 5 reader reports we’ve received.
The briefing:
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen said that a spike in property crimes about a month ago is over because of recent arrests – the rate had dropped back down in the past week or so. He says the year overall remains on track around 20 percent below last year’s property-crime rate – a year that in turn was about 20 percent above the long-term average.
Another “bump” may be ahead, he warned, because it’s “that crazy time of the year, the holidays,” when thieves and burglars are after items you’ve bought for gifts, maybe even before you get them into your vehicle or home: “(When shopping) you become more of a target, so be aware of your surroundings, look around,” Capt. Paulsen warned, adding that there will be more police presence at Westwood Village and The Junction – not on overtime, but by “shuffling around” resources. He also cautioned people to arrange for deliveries in ways that won’t lead to packages unattended on front doors.
Betty asked about the Fairmount Springs break-in reports that circulated one week ago (they’re in this WSB Crime Watch roundup), apparently targeting homes inhabited by women, home alone. The cases were news to Capt. Paulsen and Community Police Team Officer Jonathan Kiehn, who monitor for patterns, but said these hadn’t surfaced as one. Another attendee said she had come to ask about the incidents too, and the perception that there might be a known suspect who hadn’t yet been arrested. Police promised to check into these cases ASAP.
One attendee brought up mail theft and asked if police could “set up a sting.” Short answer: No, since it’s a federal-jurisdiction crime, but if you see it happening, do call 911, the citizen was told, since, Capt. Paulsen said, they have caught mail thieves “over the years.” He was also advised to look into a locked mailbox. Immediately after the exchange, he and Officer Kiehn started a followup conversation.
Now, Part 2 of this roundup: The latest reader reports – five in all, the first two with photos:
We’re at the Southwest Precinct, where Capt. Steve Paulsen has just presented a certificate of appreciation to Ken Wicklund. He’s the citizen who asked an officer and sergeant if they needed help when they found themselves in a struggle with a suspect one week ago tonight near the old Charlestown Café. They said yes – he jumped in to help. And tonight, the commander and his team – including Sgt. Joe Bauer and Officer Sara Mulloy (at front left in the photo below) – said thanks to Wicklund, whose family was on hand too.
We’ve been covering the case, most recently with a report on the charge filed Friday against suspect Skyler Gronholz, who remains in King County Jail, in lieu of $45,000 bail for this case and a warrant that was already out for his arrest.
Wicklund works as a captain for Argosy Cruises. He told us that this happened after he left home to pick up dinner at Spiro’s Pizza, just blocks away. He came home and saw police activity near his home – and as he got closer, he noticed officers and suspect on the ground, and that’s when he asked if they needed help. He, and Sgt. Bauer and Officer Mulloy, were all injured, but all are OK now. We have video of tonight’s ceremony and will add it here once it’s uploaded (added – here it is):
After tonight’s presentation, the Wicklund family got a guided tour of the precinct.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?”:
*In Highland Park, the recent election caused some friction between a father and son: Thirty-nine-year-old dad said that no matter how legal marijuana was going to be, it was not to be smoked in his house. He also laid down the law: Sonny would have to start working to help support the household. The discussion ended up getting slightly physical, and someone called 911. Son (19 years old) told officers that his dad is very wrong to force him to work. According to the report, “The son says that it is cold and raining outside and that he prefers to stay inside where he is warm and has food to eat. He also feels it’s his dad’s responsibility to provide for him.” Officers told the son to go spend the night at his brother’s in order to cool off.
*On Thursday the 8th, an employee of Nucor Steel was driving along Harbor Avenue when he noticed three men stealing scrap metal from the company’s property. He called company security and the security team called 911 to describe the thieves and their car. Officers pulled the vehicle over on Highland Park Way. It was full of scrap metal, but the three denied they had climbed or gone over any fences to get it. (Indeed: The report says they had cut *through* a fence to access the material.) All three were booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary.
Six more summaries, including new information on a police-guns-drawn incident at a local gas station last weekend:
Karen‘s house was hit by burglars – and she is sharing not only the report, but also prevention advice from police:
Our home was broken into (Friday) afternoon around 1:30pm. We are on 31st between Elmgrove and Thistle.
Find more burglary-prevention advice from SPD by going here.
Bail is set at $45,000, according to the King County Jail register, for the 28-year-old man arrested in West Seattle last night for allegedly assaulting a Seattle Police officer and sergeant and the civilian who tried to help them, when a traffic stop turned into a tussle. The suspect is a Kent resident who is now in jail for the 10th time this year; he waived the right to be present in court for his bail hearing this afternoon. As we noted in an update earlier today, most of the jail stays relate to a burglary case in which he was charged one year ago today – accused of stealing from college dorm rooms elsewhere in Seattle and pawning stolen property – allegedly for money to support a heroin habit. He is under investigation for two counts of third-degree assault, one count of fourth-degree assault, and one drug charge; prosecutors have until Friday to decide on charges. We asked SPD how the officer and sergeant are doing; Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen tells us tonight that they are “sore, but OK.” More details on the incident are included in the documents from this afternoon’s bail hearing – read on:Read More
5:14 PM: Thanks to everyone who has messaged us about the big police response – we saw several of the lights/siren cars heading north ourselves. We’re at the scene of an incident involving a car at 42nd and Charlestown (we’ve counted eight SPD cars so far). Someone is believed to be hurt – there’s just been a Seattle Fire Department car to come help. Still sorting out details, and will add as we find out more.
5:20 PM UPDATE: We’ve learned this started as a “help the officer” call – and it appears medics are checking out an officer. This is all unfolding just east of the old Charlestown Café. (added) Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen confirms an officer was assaulted by a suspect after a traffic stop. He says the suspect is under arrest.
6:04 PM UPDATE: New information from Capt. Paulsen – two officers were hurt; he says, “the suspect was under arrest and tried to drive off as the officer was trying to bring him out of the car. The suspect was also in possession of suspected controlled substances.” The injured officers, he says, are at Harborview Medical Center.
8:47 PM UPDATE: More details from SPD Blotter – including word that a citizen who tried to help got hurt. Read on for the narrative:
10:17 PM: If you’re in eastern West Seattle, you might have noticed the big emergency response headed toward South Park earlier tonight. A car carrying five people crashed into a pole there, killing the driver, sending the survivors to the hospital, and closing a stretch of 8th Avenue South for an investigation likely to take a few more hours. The full story’s on our partner site The South Park News.
10:49 PM UPDATE: SPD has tweeted that one of the survivors died at the hospital.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE, 7:46 AM: Everyone in the car was a teenager, according to an update on SPD Blotter this morning which says the driver was a 16-year-old boy; the passenger who died at the hospital is described as a girl, no age listed.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?”:
*A Highland Park family’s car has been damaged for the second time recently. Previously someone cut the brake lines; this time, someone entered the fenced yard, disconnected the rear brake line, punched a hole in the oil filter, and poured oil into the gas tank. A member of the family is on kidney dialysis and needs the car for regular transportation to treatment.
*Thursday evening, in the 5200 block of 37th SW, a couple left their home to walk the dog. Twenty minutes later they returned to discover that someone had stolen computers, assorted electrical items and a wallet from inside.
Ahead, more details on an early-morning break-in earlier this week, plus five other summaries:Read More
5:40 PM: Thanks for all the tips – we’re on our way to check out a police search in the 36th/Graham/Raymond vicinity. Police are looking for a suspect linked to a car in which, according to the scanner, a gun was found. More info as we get it.
5:45 PM: It’s a search for an assault suspect, according to Southwest Precinct Capt. Steve Paulsen, who confirms a gun has been found. Per the scanner, police have blocked off an extensive area for containment and a K-9 team is expected to be part of the search. Scanner traffic also indicates this is linked to an incident that happened yesterday.
6:11 PM: Police are reported to have a suspect in custody. (added) Capt. Paulsen says this is related to a road-rage case in which the suspect was reported to have pointed a gun at the victim.
Two notes this morning – one a crime, one something else that police handled overnight. First, from Chessa:
Our car was stolen in front of our house in Seaview (45th AVE between Juneau and Findlay) sometime between 10 pm and 6 am last night. It is a 1995 light brown (mocha?) Subaru Legacy wagon, license plate 704 YBN, WA plates. There’s a 2008 Obama-Biden on the left upper rear window corner, with some rust spots on the roof. We did, of course, file a police report. If any of your readers see it, we’d love to know!
Police ask that you call 911 if you spot a stolen car. Second note is not about a crime, but its appearance on SPD’s “Tweets by Beat” feed led one alarmed WSB’er to ask about it. Here’s the tweet:
Beat:W1, ANIMALS – INJURED, DEAD, DANGEROUS at W SEATTLE BR / DELRIDGE WY SW reported on 11/7/2012 5:42 AM
— SeattlePD William1 (@SeattlePDW1) November 7, 2012
This actually involved a case of police rescuing a lost dog, according to e-mail we received overnight from the dog’s owner, Betsy, who said her Siberian Husky broke out very early this morning but is home now:
Apparently she had made it from our house near Mount St. Vincent all the way to the high rise of the West Seattle Bridge. We are SO thankful for the Seattle police and a dog savvy citizen who was able to corral and catch her. We got a call from Officer Graham at about 5:30am while we were out combing the streets. He and his partner said they were both dog lovers and we are very, very thankful for everyone’s help. She immediately went to sleep when she got home.
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