9:07 PM: Traffic is jammed because of a road-blocking police response at Duwamish Head. We don’t yet know what happened – leaving Alki, we got caught in it ourselves. A texter says it was a guns-drawn response.

9:48 PM: Finally made it back to HQ. Commenter N7oep notes that this resulted in damage to Seattle Police cars. Steve Pumphrey sent this video of one being towed:

Steve also sent this video of the response:

9:59 PM: Catching up via archived audio, the initial call was gunfire, and police briefly pursued the suspect; when they initially stopped her, she was reported to be “non-compliant” and tried driving away – that’s how at least one patrol car was damaged – but they soon stopped and arrested her and another person.

2:30 AM: Police are investigating a reported street robbery in which a phone was taken from the victim. They’ve been sorting out the actual location, since the victim reported it from their home at a different location, but the location mentioned most recently was 47th/Lincoln Park Way. The robbers were described as “two Black males, masks, dark clothing, handguns” who got away in a silver or gray “older” Chevrolet Silverado missing its bumper. They’re also suspected in an earlier robbery but we don’t have details on that yet.

2:34 AM: Police just found what might be that Silverado, on Alki, but haven’t yet found the robbers. They may have left in another vehicle, and they might have an accomplice.

10:03 AM: The police-report narrative on this likely won’t be available until Monday but the victim’s parents have sent us details to clarify:

Our 19-year-old son was the victim of the “street robbery” at 2 am this morning that you posted about. We wanted to clarify and provide some other details, it was a scary situation for him and could happen again (our understanding from the police at 4 am is that the suspects are still at large.)

Our son was driving south on California at Thistle street, when two men pulled their truck forward and blocked his car from being able to move forward/turn on to Thistle. They approached the car with handguns and lasers aimed at him, demanded he get out of the car and lie face down on to the ground, where they searched his pockets (threw his car keys a few feet away) and asked for cash. He didn’t have any on him. They briefly checked his car, took his phone from there, then drove off. They didn’t physically assault him.

They were not Black, as your post states. They were wearing hoodies and paint ball masks.

Our son found his keys and returned safely home shortly after, and that’s when we called 911.

This Crime Watch roundup starts with a stolen pickup truck:

STOLEN YELLOW TRUCK: Mike emailed the report: “A friend of mine’s 2021 Ford F-250 truck was stolen from near Luna Park on Wednesday. It’s BRIGHT YELLOW! Stock photo attached.” We’re waiting for the plate number and police-report number, but in the meantime, “bright yellow” is distinctive enough that it might be identifiable if abandoned somewhere. (SATURDAY UPDATE: Police found it.)

That same area is where this bicycle theft happened, one of three more bicycles in reader reports this evening:

STOLEN KIDS’ BIKE: Reported by Sarah:

Someone stole our daughter’s bike today or last night. It was tucked behind a tree in front of our house, on 32nd Ave (near Avalon Way). Normally it’s locked up but we had it unfortunately left out. It is a neon yellow Giant bike with distinctive teal basket with flowers, a cat squeeze horn. The streamers in picture aren’t on handles any more.

It’s been reported to police – temporary number T00036420.

ABANDONED, POSSIBLY STOLEN: M. noticed these in Admiral:

Been walking by these for the past two or three days, and it finally occurred that I have been walking by these for the last two or three days. Perhaps you can help them find their way home. SW corner of Lafayette playground.

(Seattle Police photo)

Thanks for the tip. Seattle Police report this morning that crash-and-grab burglars drove into another West Seattle Junction smoke shop just before 3:30 today, this time the World of Smoke and Vape in the 4800 block of California, almost exactly 24 hours after the attempt at West Seattle Smoke Company less than a block north. Here’s the police summary:

Seattle police are investigating a burglary at a West Seattle smoke shop early Friday morning after suspects used a stolen car to ram the front and gain entry.

At 3:29 a.m., officers responded to an alarm in the 4800 block of California Avenue Southwest. When officers arrived, they found a gold Kia left at the scene after it had been used to crash through the front entrance of the business.

A witness told police he saw six masked men arrive in two vehicles. One suspect drove the Kia into the building. Five of the suspects entered the store and began grabbing merchandise while the sixth stood lookout. The suspects fled northbound on California Avenue SW at a high rate of speed in a silver vehicle before officers arrived.

The impact caused major damage to the store, including a destroyed security gate and shattered front windows.

Police confirmed that the Kia had been reported stolen from Seattle.

General Investigations Unit detectives are leading the investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Seattle Police Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Incident Number: 25-225915

Listening back to the archived incident audio, one thing not mentioned in the police summary: The model of the car used to ram the store. As with the one a day earlier, it was a Kia Sportage.

The crash-and-grab attempt at West Seattle Smoke Company wasn’t the only break-in attempt at a Junction business early today.

That’s a reader photo of the alley door at Pegasus Pizza in the 4500 block of California SW. The report narrative we obtained from SPD says the first 911 call came in around 4:47 am, reporting that someone saw the damaged door about half an hour after hearing a “loud noise.” Police called an owner of the restaurant, who showed up to walk through with them, and said she reported that nothing seemed to have been taken and even the register was “seemingly undisturbed,” so they’re not sure if whoever broke the door actually made it inside or not. No one reported seeing a suspect, so there’s no description. But if you have any information, you can contact police and refer to incident # 25-224819.

(Reader photo)

Thanks to the reader who sent that photo from a crash-and-grab attempt at the West Seattle Smoke Company in The Junction early today. According to archived radio exchanges and an SPD summary, officers responded around 3:30 am to a report that the driver of a black Kia Sportage had tried ramming the front of the store twice. Police say they didn’t get inside, though the crash “caused major damage to the front doors and security gates,” so nothing was stolen. The Sportage, however, was confirmed to have been stolen and might have been used in an armed robbery in another area.

(SPD photo)

There’s no description info about the driver but they are believed to have left in another vehicle, possibly a gray Kia. Police are asking that anyone with information call 206-233-5000. The shop has been burglarized before, and in that case, a suspect was arrested and charged (update: that suspect has been back in jail for about three weeks, still awaiting trial in that case and others).

(Reader photo, last Thursday night)

Five days after 36-year-old Aren Oleson was arrested after allegedly firing a gun repeatedly in his South Admiral apartment, investigators say he’s facing misdemeanor charges rather than felony charges.

He was originally suspected of unlawful firearm possession, a felony, but prosecutors say SPD determined that Oleson had had his firearms rights restored (he had been described by SPD as a convicted felon but we still don’t have details of his record), so the six guns found in his apartment apparently were not illegally owned after all. And since no one was injured by the gunfire, police and county prosecutors determined the case was not a matter of felony assault. However, the City Attorney’s Office, according to the jail docket and court file, has charged Oleson with 10 misdemeanors, including obstructing a public officer, possession of a controlled substance, property damage, multiple counts of reckless endangerment, and aiming or discharging a firearm. A spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says that felony charges could still be considered if additional evidence is found that leads the SPD investigating detective to refer the case. Meantime, the two officers are still talking about the case and, according to the KCPAO spokesperson, “working on what steps they could take for public safety with all available options under the law.” Oleson remains in jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

For the second time this week, we have a reader report about a bicycle stolen from a West Seattle porch:

Stolen Gravel Bike – August 4 @ 10 p.m.

A REI Co-op ADV 2.2 bike was stolen from a home at the intersection of 16th Avenue SW and SW Myrtle Street last night around 10:00 p.m. The bike was locked on the front porch of the home, and two people broke the lock with bolt cutters. The owner of the home heard it in time to confront one of the thieves, but the other had already gotten away with the bike. The two people were both male, medium build (no taller than 5’8″), slim, and had dark hair and brown skin. The man who was confronted was wearing a red hoodie, held a black bike helmet, a shoulder bag, and a notebook. He spoke only in Spanish. The owner didn’t get a good enough look of the the man who got away with the bike to give more details about his clothing.

The ADV 2.2 bike is a white/gray gravel bike. It has two fenders, a rear rack, and two water bottle cages.

The incident was filed with the Seattle Police Department – case number 25-222264.

If you have any information, please contact the owner at 804-690-2835.

Three incidents in this Crime Watch roundup – ne from the police files, two from reader reports:

LURING ATTEMPT: This was called in to 911 just before midnight last Friday night; after seeing a short summary, we requested the narrative (note that RP stands for “reporting party,” who in this case was a juvenile):

Officers responded to 4001 California AV SW (76 service station) in reference to a suspicious subject complaint.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the RP, who was hiding in a nearby alley behind the service station. According to the RP, she was waiting at the bus stop, which was located in front of the store on California AV SW, when a red in color cargo van drove up and the driver of the van reportedly asked the RP if she wanted a ride home.

When the RP declined, the van left the scene but returned a short time later. The RP advised that the driver approached her again and then demanded that the RP get inside of the vehicle.

The RP stated that she became afraid and ran behind the store and down the alley where officers located her hiding behind several garbage cans in the area. The suspect had left the area in an unknown direction before officers arrived on scene.

The narrative provided to us included no description of the person in the van, nor any further details about the van, though the original summary said it was a “minivan” with a “sliding door.” If you have any info, contact police and refer to incident # 25-219081.

BICYCLE THIEF: Joni is looking for her stolen bicycle, taken on Genesee Hill, and sent these two images – one of the thief:

And this one of her bicycle:

This happened at 3:42 am on July 28th. We’ll add the police report # when we get it.

HIT-RUN: A reader who wishes to be anonymous is asking for help with this:

A West Seattle Sunday Funday unfortunately took a turn when two friends I’d been with were sideswiped while parked on southbound Harbor Ave SW — right in front of Verge Condominiums — between 3:30 and 5:30 PM on Sunday, August 3rd.

We’re hoping someone in the community might’ve seen something. Our assumption (based on some left-behind car parts) is that the vehicle may have been a white Honda Civic or Accord, but we’re open to any leads or eyewitness accounts.

The report number is M4800628.

Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning, starting with updates on two people arrested in West Seattle for murders that happened elsewhere:

LAST NIGHT’S HELICOPTER-ASSISTED MURDER SUSPECT ARREST: As updated here, police have confirmed last night’s warrant operation in West Seattle was to arrest a 28-year-old man suspected of shooting and killing a man in Northgate earlier this week. The suspect, who does not appear so far to have a record, is reported to live at the Sunrise Heights residence where he was arrested. We’ll update the case when he has his first bail/probable-cause hearing, today or tomorrow. (ADDED 7 PM: He did have a hearing this afternoon; his bail was set at $5 million. The hearing document says the suspect – whose age is now listed as 26 – and victim were classmates at a health-care-related school in Northgate earlier this month, but says the motive is not yet known. The document also says that the suspect was traced with the help of a witness who saw him get into a car, security video, and traffic-cam video of the car.)

$5 MILLION BAIL SET FOR ANOTHER MURDER SUSPECT: Back on Tuesday, we reported on the West Seattle arrest of a woman wanted for a deadly stabbing in SODO. The 35-year-old woman is not yet charged but has a high-profile record so we are identifying her: As noted in this comment, Jordyn Weichert was convicted in a Whidbey Island vehicular homicide case involving a crash that killed three people. She was in court Wednesday in connection with the SODO case and bail was set at $5 million. No motive is listed but the initial court document does reveal why she was in West Seattle – she was reported to be staying with friends/acquaintances at an apartment building in the Luna Park area.

$5,000 BAIL SET FOR DRUGS/GUN SUSPECT: Our Tuesday Crime Watch report also included the SPD announcement of a Harbor Avenue SW arrest in which police say they found drugs and a gun, which the 37-year-old suspect was not legally allowed to have. He too had a hearing on Wednesday; a judge found probable cause for the drug and DUI allegations but not for the gun allegations – pending more info from SPD investigators, prosecutors explain – so his bail is currently set at $5,000.

And one Crime Watch reader report today:

MAIL THEFT: The photo and report are from Darrick in North Delridge:

Mail theft and mailbox vandalized. Puget Blvd and Hudson. It appears the nighttime mail monster has raided and destroyed our mail box.

We’ll add the police incident # when we get it.

Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch today:

BUSINESS ARSON: The photo shows some of the damage done when someone set a fire in a restroom at West Seattle Arcade (2758 Alki SW) on Tuesday. We asked arcade owners Elyssa and Matt about the incident after obtaining the report from SPD today; it says an employee called 911 before 7 pm after smelling smoke and then discovering the restroom filled with it. As shown in the photo, provided to us by the arcade owners, the report says police – arriving after firefighters were gone – discovered “soot covered walls, top to bottom. the sit=down stall area appeared to have the majority of smoke/flame damage coming up the wall adjacent to the toilet. SFD knocked a hole in the wall leaving a pile of debris.” The report says the owners estimated $6,000 to $10,000 worth of damage. We contacted them by email to confirm this had happened (the police report had redacted the business name) and to ask if there’s anything the community could do to help; the reply – “I don’t know that there’s much people can do other that come play at the arcades. It means everything to us to see people having fun here! We believe the fire was started by some kids, and we are submitting video to SPD of everyone that went into the bathroom before the fire.” If you have any information, the incident # is 25-215401.

HIT-RUN INVESTIGATION: CP sent the photo and request for witnesses:

My husband and I parked our car on 40th Ave SW between Sound & Fog cafe and Bank of America on July 29 from 3:28 pm to 4:46 pm. When we returned, someone hit our car and broke off our bumper. I was wondering if anyone has photos or camera footage of the incident.

The SPD report # is 25-216041.

Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:

AVALON RESPONSE: For those wondering about the police response a short time ago on Avalon, radio exchanges indicate SPD has just detained someone believed to be a person who they’d been looking for in connection with a SODO homicide case from two weeks ago. More information expected later. (Update, 10:35 pm: Police have confirmed the arrest, though without mentioning that it happened in West Seattle.)

GUN, DRUGS FOUND IN DUI ARREST: From an SPD announcement this afternoon:

(Today) at about 12:15 a.m., patrol officers found a 37-year-old man passed out inside of a running vehicle in the 1900 block of Harbor Avenue SW. Officers safely removed him from the vehicle and arrested him for driving under the influence.

While investigating, police saw suspected narcotics inside of the truck. Police applied for a search warrant and it was approved by a judge. Officers searched the truck and recovered narcotics, scales, and a firearm.

(Seattle Police photo)

Officers transported the suspect to the hospital for a legal blood draw. Once completed, officers booked him into the King County Jail for [investigation of] multiple crimes including DUI, Ignition Interlock Violation, Possession with Intent to Deliver narcotics, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

The suspect, a convicted felon, is prohibited from having guns.

He’s still in jail at this hour; checking local court records, his cases in the past five years involve primarily stolen cars and unlawful gun possession.

(New court, minus stolen net – photo courtesy Hannah)

In the past few weeks, we’ve been reporting on the installation of a new type of volleyball court at Alki Beach; WSB’s Hayden Yu Andersen broke the story after learning about it while covering West Seattle Summer Fest. It was installed this past Wednesday morning. Then Hayden got this update today from his first interviewee:

Some unfortunate news in that it looks like the net was stolen, though the lines and poles are intact. We are very sad because we saw very high public usage of the courts in the days prior. The community may put up a temporary one in the interim while the Parks Department investigated this theft of public property. If anyone is aware of its whereabouts please help in returning it, or contacting the Seattle Parks Department – Lisa.Nielsen@seattle.gov

As shown in Hayden’s Wednesday report, the net’s blue border is clearly, and multiply, labeled as Seattle Parks and Recreation property. (No police report # yet; that would have to be filed by the city.)

Police are at Zeeks Pizza in Morgan Junction right now, investigating a reported burglary. Officers told dispatch they’ve confirmed broken glass in a back window/door of the restaurant as the apparent site of entry. No other details so far. ADDED: If you have information for police, the incident # is 25-211438.

11:20 AM: A 39-year-old Olympia man is in the King County Jail for investigation of hate crime and robbery after an attack reported at Seacrest Pier. According to case documents we obtained this morning, a group of people was fishing at Seacrest just after 12:40 am Tuesday when the man approached them and said they should be speaking English (the police report says they were speaking Chinese). He also told them, the report says, they needed to “assimilate because this is America.” The police summary adds:

The suspect told the victims that they need to go back to their country, and that he is done with them. The suspect threatened to throw them in the water. The victims were scared, and another victim heard the threats and cursing. The fourth victim pulled out his phone to call 911, and the suspect forcefully took the victim’s new cell phone and threw it in the water. The suspect then pushed the victim and attempted to punch him.

Court documents say members of the group then held the man down while police were called. One witness had recorded video and showed it to police, who arrested the man and booked him into jail, where he remains, with bail set at $75,000, and another hearing scheduled this afternoon.

9:30 PM: Charges are now filed and we obtained the charging documents tonight. The suspect, Joshua C. Bucklin, now listed as a Lake Forest Park resident, is charged with two counts of hate crime and one count of theft. The documents say he has a “minor criminal record,” described as “a felony conviction from California for evading a peace officer: disregard safety (2015), and a misdemeanor conviction from California for DUI (2015).” The charging documents elaborate on the summary we cited earlier, including verbatims from what prosecutors describe as a ‘racist tirade” and noting that his alleged targets were teenagers. They tried repeatedly to de-escalate the situation, prosecutors say, but – as shown on the video given to police, the documents say – he just kept ramping up, though even a bystander urged him to “chill.” That bystander was the person who eventually held the suspect down until police arrived, and the owner of the phone Bucklin is accused of grabbing and tossing into the water. Bucklin remains in jail, bail set at $75,000, and will be arraigned in two weeks.

Checking the police log to ensure we hadn’t missed anything major, we noted a commercial burglary reported this morning in the 5900 block of California SW. We subsequently obtained the report narrative from SPD. A worker at Juneau Street Market told police he had arrived at 7 am to find evidence of a burglary about two hours before that. The burglar broke a window pane on the north side of the store, and pulled up a recycling-bin lid, possibly to hide the broken window from passers-by. The report says the burglar(s) took “tobacco and smokeless-tobacco products” worth at least $1,000. Security video given to police was described by the officer who wrote the report: “I observed a male wearing a hoodie, to conceal his identity, enter the frame from the north side of the store. The male suspect, possibly black or Hispanic, in his 20’s-30’s, immediately went behind the register area and began filling a small bag with packs of cigarettes and vape pen products. The suspect was careful not to look up at the camera, finished and was out of the store within 5-10 minutes, leaving through the broken window.” If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 25-206899.