West Seattle, Washington
28 Tuesday
(Added: Photo by Tim Durkan)
10:54 AM: Police are arriving in an alley in the 9200 block of 17th SW [map] for a report that a person has been shot. Updates to come.
10:56 AM: Officers have told dispatch that they’ve found the victim, a man in his 30s who has a gunshot wound “to his back.” One witness told them it happened in a tent in the alley between 17th and 18th.
11 AM: SFD has sent a “scenes of violence” response as is standard when an incident is reported to have involved a weapon. Police are bringing in a K9 team and they’re setting up “containment” for blocks around.
11:05 AM: The only descriptioh details so far is male, Black, “light-skinned,” short “balding” hair, black T-shirt that might have a Nike swoosh, dark blue shirt or jacket over it, blue jeans, last seen on foot eastbound from the scene. Possibly in his teens. …
(Added: Photo first posted in a comment by MJJJr, SFD medics wheeling gurney with victim)
SFD medics are taking the victim to Harborview Medical Center.
11:39 AM: Police say a business at or near the White Center side of 15th/Roxbury saw the likely suspect walking by half an hour or so ago, wearing a dark pulled-up hoodie, headed east.
(Added: Photo first posted in a comment by Todd, officers with K9)
12:40 PM: No arrest yet, but police believe they know who they’re looking for, and they’re still searching. Neighbors, meantime, say the encampment, on a vacant lot, has long been a problem; our archives show the site had an abandoned house that was the scene of multiple fires in the mid-teens until demolition.
A judge has set bail at $750,000 for the man arrested one day after a reported kidnapping attempt in Gatewood. We first reported on the incident shortly after an 8-year-old girl reported it near 36th/Othello on Saturday afternoon; we updated the story this morning with police reporting an arrest Sunday. Today, the 22-year-old suspect appeared in court for a bail and probable-cause hearing. The judge agreed with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office request for the $750,000 bail amount, though the suspect’s lawyer argued it was too high, given that he has no criminal history and denies the allegations. Prosecutors say a victim advocate read a statement from a parent of the child, saying in part: “It is only because of our local neighbors and our greater community watching out for one another’s children that an awful tragedy was averted.” Prosecutors say the judge also heard from the suspect’s mother, who said her son is not aggressive. The judge ultimately found probable cause for Attempted Kidnapping in the Second Degree with a deadly weapon enhancement; the suspect was reported to have been in possession of a knife.
According to the probable-cause document based on the police-report narrative, the victim was sitting by herself on a tree stump outside a residence, waiting for her 9-year-old friend, when a man tapped her on the shoulder, then “gripped her arm and attempted to pull her further down the driveway”; she screamed and her friend looked outside to see what she described to police as a man pulling her friend with one hand and holding a knife in his other. The friend told an adult, went outside, and the man fled. Police say surveillance video shows a man leaving the area “30 seconds after a scream is heard”; they say the suspect confirmed in his interview that he is the man shown in the video but “denies touching young children.” Prosecutors have until Wednesday to decide whether to (updated) rush-file charges, provided they get sufficient evidence from police; if the investigation takes longer, they still could charge the suspect at a later date.
The report is from K, in Fauntleroy east of central Lincoln Park:
Early Friday morning our garage was (burglarized) of two e-bikes, a chain saw, and a bicycle pump. We’ve filed a police report. One light blue Specialized Vado model:
The second one is a brown Giant Liv model. Police report (temporary) number: T00056078
Also:
This morning, I found some first-aid kit contents and medical goods and a bag marked “Medical Trainee” tossed in the bushes near our home, as well as a sweatshirt from a local business. I was able to return the sweatshirt to its owner, but he didn’t recognize the other goods. The police non-emergency dispatcher said an officer would stop by to recover the goods.
If you’re missing items like those, let us know and we’ll connect you.
9:52 PM: After 911 got a call from a driver who reported another driver shooting at her in a “road-rage incident,” police have found “casings all over” the 35th SW and SW Morgan vicinity. No report of injuries; the victim said the shooter was in a ‘white BMW SUV.” Police closed Morgan between 34th and 35th while investigating and collecting evidence.
(WSB photos)
10:09 PM: Our crew at the 35th/Morgan scene estimates at least 15-20 markers on the ground and notes that the highest number they’ve seen on a marker is 24. Adding photos.
Meantime, over radio, police say the shooting started further south on 35th, between Trenton and Elmgrove.
10:36 PM: Officers told dispatch they’re reopening Morgan.
ADDED 8:50 AM MONDAY: Here’s the police summary:
At 2120 hours, Officers were dispatched to a shots fired near the intersection of 35th AV SW and SW Morgan ST. Officers located multiple shell casings in the intersection just east of 35th AV SW. One victim vehicle owner phoned 911 to report their vehicle being struck by gunfire by a male passenger of an SUV. Victim also reported suspect SUV followed him from the Westwood Village Target. Officers located four bullet holes and one projectile inside victim vehicle which were collected for evidence. A second victim vehicle owner who was traveling southbound on 35th AV SW near SW Morgan ST contacted Officers on scene to report bullet damage to their windshield. Officers discovered two bullet holes along with one projectile inside this second victim vehicle. The second projectile was collected for evidence as well.
2:30 PM: Police are in Gatewood to find out more about a possible child-grabbing attempt. The call is from the area of 36th/Othello, though it’s not yet clear whether this is where it happened, or just where the 911 call was made from around 2 pm. According to what’s been said over the air so far, an 8-year-old girl said a man tried to grab her, and another child with her is repprted to have confirmed seeing it happen. He was described as white, 5’6″ to 5’7″, brown hair, blue eyes, grayish-blue hoodie and dark shorts. No other info yet, and further details might be hard to come by, but we’re publishing this from the “better to know, just in case” standpoint.
2:41 PM: A few more description details – the man appeared to be in his 30s, wearing a white shirt, with a black backpack, and possibly had a knife. The officer taking the report told dispatch that if they found a suspect, the information constitutes probable cause for a kidnapping attempt, so we have changed the headline from grabbing attempt to kidnap attempt.
ADDED MONDAY: Police say they’ve arrested a suspect. Here’s the summary received in response to our followup inquiry:
Seattle police officers arrested a 22-year-old man for attempting to kidnap an 8-year-old girl in a West Seattle neighborhood Saturday afternoon.
On April 25 at about 2:00 p.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a man attempting to take a young girl while she played in a residential front yard with her friends. There, police found the child unharmed, yet “terrified,” according to the police report.
According to the probable cause statement, the suspect “gripped her arm and attempted to pull her further down the driveway and behind the neighbor’s home,” and the suspect tried pulling her “with his left hand while holding a knife in his other hand.” The girl screamed and alerted the adults. The suspect then fled the area before police arrived.
Officers searched the neighborhood, but they could not find the suspect. Cops found video evidence of the suspect fleeing the area and collected it for their investigation. Police distributed the suspect’s picture to all officers, department wide. On the afternoon of April 26, officers found a man matching the suspect’s description and arrested him.
Officers transported the suspect to Seattle Police Headquarters to be interviewed by detectives. Afterwards, police booked him into the King County Jail for Investigation of Kidnapping.
We hope to have a separate followup later on the suspect’s status.
Two days before a man died of a drug overdose at Rotary Viewpoint Park, another man was arrested for alleged drug dealing there, and has been in jail ever since. SPD’s weekend summaries, released today, included a brief mention of this arrest just after 2 pm Saturday, saying it started when officers “were conducting a premise (check) in an area known for the sale and use of illegal narcotics.” Probable-cause documents identified the area as the park at 35th/Alaska. The officer who wrote the report began by explaining that he’s usually on proactive crime-prevention detail and added: “Prior to today’s incident, I have personally been a part of numerous narcotics-related contacts and arrests in the immediate vicinity. Many within the park at the above intersection …”
He and another officer watched the park from a marked patrol car parked nearby, he wrote. They arrested the 49-year-old suspect after seeing him sit down on a bench and smoke with others from “a large device (that) later field tested presumptive positive for having fentanyl residue …” They also said they saw the suspect approached by “multiple people,” one of whom they saw “giving him a significant wad of cash” in exchange for a piece of foil that man was later seen using to smoke. The officers said they watched a few more exchanges before moving in on the suspect, who they say responded by attempting to flee; they say they later found “multiple knives” in his possession, a well as “several separate bags of what he admitted was methamphetamine” plus $94 and 2 Euro in cash and various items of “narcotics paraphernalia.” They also discovered he had a $5,000 warrant for failing to appear in a stolen-car case filed in early 2024. We haven’t looked up his full record yet but court files show the warrant was issued last June, and that he had a previous stolen-car case on his record almost a decade ago, resolved in a plea bargain.
Though the Southwest Precinct is next door, the major police response at the Delridge Home Depot this past hour was big enough to catch a reader’s attention. Here’s what we found out: It started as a shoplifting attempt, with the would-be shoplifter threatening to kill someone who tried to stop him. The police officer who responded decided to search the “wooded area” behind the store – a known encampment site – and asked for backup units. A suspect was found and taken into custody. (Thanks again for tips if/when you see notable police responses – text 206-293-6302 any time.)
The results are in from the latest annual Seattle Public Safety Survey, conducted by Seattle University, which provides results – without personally identifying info/data – to SPD. Here’s how SU summarizes this year’s survey results (which included almost 1,300 responses from our area):
Results of the 2025 Seattle Public Safety Survey are in, with traffic safety, public-order crime, fear of crime, property crime, and laws, policies, and accountability among the top themes participants cited.
The Seattle Public Safety Survey is part of the Seattle Police Department’s Micro-Community Policing Plans, now in its 12th year, and has been administered annually by Seattle University’s Crime and Justice Research Center.
Traffic safety remains the top concern, continuing to rise in prominence in recent years. Participants frequently cited a sense of lawlessness on the roads and a lack of enforcement of safety violations across all types of vehicles, including electric bicycles and scooters.
One of the most significant findings this year is that community capacity rose to the second-highest concern, surpassing both police capacity and property crime for the first time in the survey’s history. This suggests that residents are not just concerned about police response to public safety issues, they are increasingly focused on whether the broader systems and services in place are able to respond effectively.
In addition to identifying top public safety concerns, the survey measures key public safety–related quality-of-life indicators including police legitimacy, social cohesion, informal social control, social disorganization, and fear of crime, at the citywide, precinct, and neighborhood levels. These measures allow community members, practitioners, and policymakers to assess the overall “public safety health” of the city and its 58 micro-communities and to use this data to inform and improve responses.Police legitimacy ratings — measured on a 100-point scale — declined in 2025 following a brief increase in 2024, which had marked the first improvement after a steady decline from 2020 to 2023. Ratings, which were above 60 in the early years of the survey (peaking at 64.4 in 2016), fell into the 40s and 30s in recent years, reaching a low of 38.7 in 2023, rising to 41.9 in 2024, and declining again to 38.8 in 2025.
Results of the survey will be presented in SPD Community-Police Dialogues on select Mondays from May through August via Zoom. Community members will have opportunities to engage with SPD personnel about the results and discuss public safety concerns at the precinct and neighborhood levels. Registration is available online, and full results can be found on the Seattle Police Department’s Micro-Community Policing Plans website.
The Seattle Public Safety Survey is one of the longest-running efforts in the country to systematically track community perceptions of public safety over time, providing a rare longitudinal view of how trust, fear, and public safety concerns evolve at the neighborhood level.
Southwest Precinct (West Seattle and South Park)-specific results start on page 56 of the results report.
SIDE NOTE: The Micro-Community Policing Plans mentioned above cover neighborhoods chosen because, at the time of this project’s inception, those are the areas that had active neighborhood organizations with which SU and SPD could partner. But the survey every year is open to all, and we (among others) usually announce it a few times to help get the word out when it’s open.
12:58 AM: Police are converging on the 16th SW/SW Holden 7-Eleven in Highland Park after a reported armed robbery. The clerk told them the robber said he had a gun and demanded register access. The description they’ve broadcast on police radio so far: White man, 20s, 5’6″, blue face mask, striped hat that says “Timberland,” black puffy jacket, black pants, possibly left on foot westbound on SW Holden. They say the clerk was not hurt. (Added: SPD incident # 26-104478)
1:04 AM: Moments later, there’s word of a robbery at the 4312 SW Admiral Way 7-Eleven too. The dispatcher reports “a language barrier” has prevented them from getting any description yet beyond “Black male, black mask, all-black clothing … ran northbound on 44th …” SPD is getting help from two King County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams. (Added: SPD incident # 26-104483)
1:29 AM: Now there’s also been a robbery in the South Precinct jurisdiction; police are working to warn other convenience stores. (One of those, the 35th/Avalon 7-Eleven, is reported to have closed as a precaution.)
We just got a call from Next-to-Nature Market pet-supplies shop in The Junction (4543 California SW), which is getting the word out that burglars hit their shop this morning. Police just arrived at the shop to take a report, so they had to cut the call short, but here’s what they say happened: Around 8:30 am, two women in a black Honda Civic broke in and got away with “thousands of dollars” worth of items: “They dug into the safe, stole electronics,” and more. The burglars’ faces were mostly covered and the shop owners don’t have security-camera images to share yet but the owners say what they can see so far suggests one white woman and one multiracial woman, one with blonde braids, and that they had a dog in their car, a “little black Chihuahua.” If you have any information, the incident number is 26-103643.
Via email and text, we got two reports today about this fire-gutted Little Free Library:
Another Little Free Library vandalism, unfortunately. This one is in Highland Park, happened some time Friday morning. Fortunately SFD got to it before the fire spread outside the box. But it’s a total loss.
The other reader who reported it says it’s near 14th SW and SW Barton and sent a closer photo:
So sad we have literal book burning in the neighborhood. This one often hosts great progressive books, too.
Not sure who left the flowers but it’s clear others are mourning.
They added:
On my way back I tried to see what books were burned. The bottom ones are tight in there but a loose one is Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. It’s a book by a Jewish Holocaust camp survivor. Today is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
We haven’t yet found the incident numbers but will add if/when we do. Last year in late spring, we had several reports of LFL vandalism – via someone removing books. We also had an LFL arson report from Gatewood in 2024.
5:50 PM: Police responding to 911 calls about possible gunfire in High Point have found casings in the 6000 block of 30th SW. The shots are reported to have been fired by someone in a “newer-model black 4-door BMW.” No injuries confirmed so far.
5;55 PM: Officers just told dispatch they’ve found a second grouping of casings in the same block.
6:07 PM: And they’re reporting at least one window hit by a bullet.
7:41 PM: Dispatch is telling police a caller reports “seven more” casings or bullets in the same area.
6:44 AM SUNDAY: Here’s the SPD summary:
At 1735 hours, officers responded to several reports of shots fired in the 6000 block 30 Ave SW. Officers arrived and located multiple fired cartridge casings in two separate areas on the east sidewalk. Three homes and a vehicle sustained bullet damage with no reported injuries. Witnesses reported hearing the shots and observing two black sedans with heavy tint leaving the area with one chasing the other.
If you have any information for police, the incident number is 26-99370.
10:30 PM: Seattle Police and a King County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team are searching for a suspected burglar who might be armed with a gun. This is happening near Delridge and Willow [map], where two people said they were in a residence when they encountered a intruder. If you’re hearing siren bursts, that’s because of the K-9 search. The only description so far is a Black man in his 20s, dressed in all black, with a white bandanna covering much of his face.
11:12 PM: Police are still searching, in a wide area.
11:41 PM: No luck finding the burglar yet but police told dispatch that they found a gun in a bag they believe he discarded.
12:31 AM: Multiple 911 calls about possible gunfire about 10 minutes ago, and dispatch has told officers one caller has reported a bullet through his window on 35th north of Roxbury. Police are en route to verify. No injuries reported so far.
12:33 AM: Police have not only confirmed the window damage, but also have reported finding casings at 35th SW and SW Cambridge. [map]
(Roadblock just south of shooting intersection, as seen from 35th/Roxbury traffic camera pointed north)
Officers are closing 35th both ways while they look for more evidence.
1:35 AM: Police just announced they’re reopening 35th in a few minutes. And they’ve found bullet damage to at least two cars.
2:26 PM: The photo above is from a comment below. And SPD just sent this in response to our request for followup info:
On April 9, just before 12:30 a.m., patrol officers responded to reports of gunfire near 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Cambridge Street. There, officers found a shooting scene that stretched across the intersection. Three residences and three unoccupied vehicles were struck by the gunfire. Police did not find any witnesses, suspects, or victims with injuries. Investigators recovered dozens of spent shell casings in the roadway.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are unknown and under investigation. Detectives in the Gun Violence Reduction Unit are assigned to this case. Anyone with information is asked to call the violent crimes tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
The SPD incident # is (updated) 26-96582.
David first reported this theft in the WSB Community Forums – in case you haven’t seen it there, here’s his report, with photo and SPD report # added:
Hey neighbors,
Unfortunately, a couple of my bonsai went missing from our yard, likely in the very early morning, last Friday (4/03).These were very special and sentimental to me, and it’s a big loss.
I accept that I will likely never see them again, but wanted to post this in the hopes that if anyone sees them or hears of them, to please let me know. I’m sad that they will likely not receive the proper care they need and may die unnecessarily. They meant a lot to me and any help here would be appreciated.
SPD report # 2026-906095.
The report and photo are from SL:
In the neighborhood near Westwood Village near 30th and Barton, this man was seen casing our house early this morning. Please let folks know to be on the watch for him.
11:08 AM: Police and fire are headed toward the Harbor/California vicinity for a report that a man has been stabbed near Salty’s. One person has been detained in connection with this. The victim is reported to be a man stabbed in the neck but “alert and conscious.” Updates to come.
11:12 AM: Responders have announced “suspect in custody.” Initial reports are that this started as a “fight in a car … south of Salty’s.”
11:18 AM: Some of the SFD units are being dismissed.
11:36 AM: Police remain on scene investigating (they were looking for witnesses – incident number is 26-92773); we’re checking with SFD re: the victim’s status.
11:58 AM: The suspect, a woman, is being taken to jail.
2 PM: The wound apparently wasn’t life-threatening, because this is the reply we received from SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty when we asked for patient information: “Crews were dispatched to a report of a stabbing. They arrived on scene and the patient refused care. We don’t have patient information because no one was treated.”
11:30 PM: Police replied late tonight to our request for an update with this summary:
On April 5th at 11:00 a.m., dispatch received reports of a stabbing in the 1900 block of Harbor Avenue Southwest. A 31-year-old woman jabbed a 34-year-old man in the back of the head with the backside of what appeared to be a toothbrush. The man suffered a scratch and would not let officers or Seattle Fire Department medics provide aid (he put a bandage on his own head). Officers saw dried blood, but he was not actively bleeding. He was not transported to the hospital and refused any further care. The investigation revealed that both individuals appeared to be intoxicated and there was an altercation before the assault. The male was very uncooperative and was released from the scene. The woman was booked into KCJ for DV assault four.
Just in from a reader:
Just saw someone attempting to steal a catalytic converter at SW Brandon and 45th Ave SW – we shined our brights on them and they ran down the street. Dressed in all black, two people. They ducked into a yard . People in the neighborhood behind West Seattle Nursery should be aware.
Thanks for the tips. An arrest involving SWAT officers in Highland Park this afternoon turns out to be this arrest announced late today by the Washington State Patrol:
On April 2, 2026, Washington State Patrol (WSP) detectives arrested a longtime fugitive in West Seattle.
Jerry C. Denson, 36, was placed on the WSP Most Wanted list in 2017 after failing to appear in court on a vehicular homicide charge. The charge stems from a DUI-related collision on Interstate 5 in Kent, in which Joy Marie Brannon, a 28-year-old passenger in Denson’s vehicle, was tragically killed.
Over the past several months, WSP detectives and the Organized Crime Intel Unit developed credible information regarding Denson’s whereabouts and worked in close coordination with members of the U.S.
Marshals Violent Offender Task Force to safely apprehend him.Denson was taken into custody without incident and booked into the King County Jail, where he will face proceedings related to the original vehicular homicide charge.
“No matter how much time passes, we will continue to pursue those who evade accountability for serious crimes,” said Trisena Sharff, Captain of the Washington State Patrol’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s arrest is the result of relentless investigative work and strong partnerships, and we hope it brings some measure of justice to the Brannon family.”
“This tragic crash was not forgotten, and I appreciate the work between the State Patrol and our Special Operations Unit to find and safely apprehend this defendant,” King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion said. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and this vehicular homicide case will move forward in the courts with our Felony Traffic Unit.”
The Washington State Patrol thanks the King County Prosecutor’s Office and U.S. Marshals Violent Offender Task Force for their assistance in apprehending Denson and helping bring a measure of justice to the Brannon family.
The King County Jail roster shows he was booked about two and a half hours ago, with bail set at $100,000.
Another followup on an incident we covered over the weekend: A 93-year-old man arrested after allegedly threatening a local care center’s staff at gunpoint before leaving with his wife, described as a dementia patient who lived there. He was booked into jail late Friday night and released Sunday night. He had a court hearing in the meantime where a judge found probable cause to investigate him for assault. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office asked that he be referred for involuntary treatment; the judge released him on personal recognizance with no-contact orders for three people and for Quail Park of West Seattle in The Junction, where it happened. Prosecutors will decide whether to file charges. Here’s the narrative from police as included in the probable-cause documents.
I spoke with an employee at the care facility (who) stated that there has been an ongoing issue between (arrestee, his wife, staff).
(Employee) provided the following information. (The couple) both began residing at Quail Park in approximately January. (Husband) was deemed to be competent to care for himself and moved out shortly after. It was determined that (wife) was not able to care for herself due to a Dementia diagnosis. (Employee) described her as “pleasantly confused” and stated that she needed assistance with remembering to eat and other daily life tasks. He stated that (husband) was unable to assist her in these efforts. He stated that (wife)’s daughter had Power of Attorney for (wife) and decided to have (wife) remain at the facility.
According to (staff), (husband) has come to the facility on multiple prior occasions to visit with (wife) (at least two incidents were documented under SPD 2026-050250 and 2026-017194). They stated that during those visits (husband) was “verbally aggressive” and expressed his intent to remove (wife) from the facility. Staff enforced their rules for retaining (wife) and limiting (husband)’s contact with her. During one of those incidents, (husband) stated that he was going to come back with weapons and kill (employee).
Today, at approximately 1325 hours, (husband) was at the facility visiting with (wife). (husband), again, attempted to remove (wife) from the facility.
One staff member attempted to stop (husband). (husband) responded by pulling out a firearm and making multiple statements expressing his intent to leave with (wife). One of the statements was, “I’m going to get her out of here one way or another”. (Employee) stated that (husband) did not point the gun at her, but he waved it around and held it by his side. She said that she felt threatened by his actions and that she believed “he was going to shoot me.” (Staff) then ran outside and hid behind a car.
(Another staffer) stated that observed(husband) in an agitated state and observed him holding the firearm. She expressed significant fear and stated that she ducked down behind her desk and hid during the majority of the incident.
(Employee) stated that he observed (husband) remove a small black handgun from his right front pocket. He stated that (husband) expressed his intent to leave the facility with his wife and pointed the firearm directly at (employee)’s chest. He was within approximately fifteen feet of (employee) at that time, with no barriers in-between them. (husband) had made threats to harm (employee) in the past. (employee) stated that he believed (husband) was going to shoot him.
(husband) then left the facility with his wife. (wife) did not appear to be forcefully removed by (husband). She seemed to be in a confused state and made statements about wanting to go home.
(husband) was located and taken into custody by King County Sheriff’s Deputies while enroute to his residence. He was taken into custody without resistance. A small black Ruger handgun was located on his person. The firearm was loaded and two additional loaded magazines were recovered from him…
The husband has no criminal record; conditions of release also include that he not have deadly weapons – his lawyer says he has none besides the one allegedly used in this incident – and that he not drive.
(Sunday traffic-camera image of response at 35th/Alaska)
The three men attacked in what police describe as a “violent robbery” at an encampment near the east side of 35th/Alaska remain hospitalized today. We covered the incident for hours on Sunday, and, noting that it happened on city-owned parkland, sought comment today from District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka. Here’s the statement we received, which also touches on the other city-land-encampment incident we covered a short time earlier:
I was horrified to hear about the robbery and assault in an encampment at Rotary Viewpoint Park yesterday, and I want to thank the Seattle Police Department for their quick response. Violence is never acceptable, especially in public spaces like our city parks where people should feel safe. Unfortunately, that has not been the reality at this park for some time.
Over the last two years, my office has consistently escalated community concerns in the Triangle neighborhood to the Unified Care Team, the agency responsible for remediating unsanctioned encampments, while also pushing for stronger responses when services are repeatedly declined by these individuals.
Recent incidents, including the fire near The Home Depot along Sylvan Way, show that our city clearly needs to do more, and I look forward to working with the Mayor, my Council colleagues, the Unified Care Team, and regional partners to expand shelter options and address these issues.
We have also inquired with Mayor Katie Wilson‘s office regarding when we’ll get an announcement regarding the hundreds of new shelter spaces expected to open around Seattle within the next two months or so.
1:22 PM: SFD and SPD are dealing right now with three victims in what they have told dispatch are believed to be related assaults, one at 37th and Alaska and one reported to be closer to Rotary Viewpoint Park (the one with the totem pole). At least two of them are reported to have a serious head injury from being hit by what police believe was a crowbar and/or fire extinguisher.
1:29 PM: One victim is being taken to Harborview Medical Center. Police have reported that they’re told robbery was involved in at least one case. They’re bringing in a K9 to help search for the attacker.
1:36 PM: The response is blocking the outside northbound lane of 35th north of Alaska – we’ve added a traffic-cam grab. Meantime, police still have only a partial description – “light-skinned Black man, 6′, medium build, 30s, acne scars,” possibly in a blue coat. They’ve said he might be associated with the encampment on the east side of 35th so that’s where the search is focusing.
1:57 PM: They’re still searching in that area and believe they’ve found the blue coat the attacker was wearing; he has reported to have since been seen in a gray T-shirt.
2:05 PM: Some police will be looking north of all that, as the attacker may have been seen in that direction.
2:20 PM: The search has been moved to a tactical radio channel, meaning we won’t hear more until/unless there’s a development such as an arrest. Before that, a few descriptive details were added – short curly black hair, chubby and freckled face, gap in the two front teeth (and believed to be a resident of the encampment).
3:21 PM: No arrests yet. Police are scaling back the scene. Added photos above and below sent by Jared. We’re checking with SFD on the victims’ conditions.
4:27 PM: Police are still in the area. They’re basing the operation out of the stadium/golf course vicinity, so that’s why you see a presence there.
(Added: Photo of SWAT trucks in golf course/stadium lot, sent by Dylan)
4:48 PM: They’re actually looking for two suspects and focusing on one particular tent in the encampment south of the stadium. SWAT is assisting.
5:07 PM: Police are planning to block entry to the stadium/golf course lot because of this ongoing operation.
5:44 PM: After getting a search warrant, they’ve gone into the tent on which they were focusing; no one there, but they’re searching for evidence.
7:18 PM: That has since wound down. Meantime, we’ve received the info we requested from SFD on the victims: One man, about 30, was in critical condition when taken to the hospital; a 39-year-old man and 35-year-old man were both in stable condition.
9:44 PM: SPD has just posted its summary of the incident. They say all three victims were attacked during “a violent robbery at a tent encampment inside of Rotary Viewpoint Park.” They say two of the victims – who SPD says are ages 28, 39, and 42 – are in critical condition. The summary describes what police believe were the circumstances:
Police determined that multiple suspects went to the victims’ tent and deployed a fire extinguisher inside. When the victims exited, they were ambushed by the suspects. They struck the victims in the heads using improvised weapons, reportedly a crowbar, the fire extinguisher, and a wrench.
The suspects knocked two of the victims unconscious. The third victim, suffering a severe head laceration, managed to get away. While on the ground the suspects went through the victims’ pockets and told them to give them everything they had.
Following the robbery, the suspects fled on foot before police arrived.
A police K9 team arrived at the scene. They tracked the suspects to a tent in a nearby encampment. Police wrote a search warrant for the property and SPD’s SWAT team responded to serve the warrant. SWAT did not find anyone inside.
Detectives in the Robbery Unit responded to process the crime scenes. Detectives also went to HMC to interview the victims. As of 6:30 p.m., two of them remain in critical condition. The third victim is in stable condition.
Anyone with information is asked to call the violent crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.
12:55 AM: Near an alley behind the apartments at 35th SW and SW Avalon, police are looking for a stabbing suspect. The victim was described over the air as a man in his mid-30s; the attacker is described as a white man in his 50s, in black and white clothing, who reportedly ran or walked from the scene. No other details yet.
1:13 AM: The victim’s being taken to Harborview by SFD medic unit. We don’t know his condition, but police told dispatch he was stabbed “in the stomach.”
2:51 PM: More information from an SPD summary made available this afternoon:
At 0041 hours, 911 was contacted about a stabbing that occurred in the alley behind the 4400 block of 35 Av Sw, just to the west. Officers arrived to find an adult male with a single stab wound to the abdomen. They applied a chest seal and secured the scene for SFD. The male was taken to HMC via Medic One, with injuries that were said to be non-life threatening. The victim’s spouse said she witnessed the incident, in which three transients behind the building attacked her husband as they walked past the group, with one of them stabbing him in the stomach. The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction on foot.
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