63-year-old* Gatewood resident Lovett James Chambers (right) is now charged with first-degree murder in the Saturday night shooting that killed 35-year-old Michael Travis Hood (left; known by his middle name). Charging documents were just provided by prosecutors; Chambers’ bail is now set at $5 million. Hood was shot by Morgan Junction Park; a friend then drove him to Providence Mount St. Vincent, thinking it was a hospital, and that’s where police and medics found him, taking him to Harborview Medical Center, where he died hours later.

At first glance the charging documents shed little light on the case beyond what has been reported already, except to say Chambers told investigators the victim and his friend were making “racial slurs,” and that Hood was shot three times, twice in the back. The documents detail Chambers’ past, as support for the increased bail:

… the defendant appears to have a substantial history of crimes of violence, which may increase his potential sentencing range. It is believed that the defendant’s criminal history began in the eariy 1960s and includes a conviction for Robbery in 1961; a crime identified as GL (possibly Grand Larceny) in 1962; Robbery (two counts) and Kidnapping in 1966; Escape with Force in 1966; Resisting Public Officers in 1972; Extortion in 1982; and Robbery of a Savings and Loan in 1982. It is anticipated that the State will amend the Information in this case to Íiie Unlawful Possession of a Firearm charges against the defendant prior to trial.

In addition, it appears that the defendant has prior arrests for Kidnapping for Ransom and/or Rape by Force in 1965; Armed Robbery and Felon in Possession in 1973; Robbery in 1974; Extortion in 1976; and Bank Robbery in 1980. The ultimate disposition of the latter group of cases is not yet known.

In court for Chambers’ first bail hearing on Monday, the suspect’s wife said he had had nothing more than a traffic ticket in the 20 years they had been together; county records show they have owned a home in Gatewood for 18 years, and he has run a home-based computer-tech business. Details of the charging documents, ahead:

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West Seattle resident Melissa Chin (city-provided photo at left) has just been announced as one of four assistant city attorneys with whom City Attorney Pete Holmes is relaunching the “precinct liaison” program. This afternoon’s announcement says Chin is the only one who will be assigned to work with police at two precincts – Southwest and South; each of the other three gets its own liaison. Here’s the official news release:

Next month four assistant city attorneys will be deployed among Seattle’s five police precincts to augment the City’s response to emerging and increasingly complex neighborhood public safety and regulatory issues.

The precinct liaisons — Melissa Chin (South/Southwest), Jana Jorgensen (North), Sumeer Singla (West) and Matt York (East) — will provide critical legal services on the issues of high importance to their particular precincts. They also will be accountable for managing a number of regulatory provisions in a more effective and efficient manner because they will better understand the dynamics in the individual communities.

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In the extensive comment discussion following our Monday followup on the deadly Saturday-night shooting by Morgan Junction Park, a friend of 35-year-old victim Michael Travis Hood said she wants to be sure he isn’t forgotten. (Travis is his middle name, but that’s how friends say they knew him.)

Jodie Davis (pictured with him, above) is the first person who told us he had died hours after the shooting, though authorities did not confirm that until Monday morning. We spoke with her by phone yesterday, and she provided the photos in this story. She also has spoken with our partners at the Seattle Times for this followup published last night, which notes, as friend and witness Jamie had told us on Sunday, that Travis had moved here just a few months ago in hopes it would be safer than Jacksonville, Florida, where his two brothers were killed in the ’90s (as detailed in this Florida story). Travis leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter named Destiny (pictured with him, at right). Jodie told us she is still trying to figure out how to get back there for Travis’s memorial service, once a date is set. Meantime, today is the deadline for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to make a decision about whether to charge the suspect, who was arrested at his Gatewood home shortly after the shooting. Homicide detectives asked publicly yesterday for any more witnesses to come forward; the documentation made public so far does not hint at any alleged motive for the shooting.

2:49 PM: The 67-year-old Gatewood man suspected in Saturday night’s deadly shooting in Morgan Junction has just appeared in a King County Jail courtroom for a bail hearing. The judge set his bail at $1 million, the amount requested by the prosecution, though the defense had asked for $50,000. Prosecutors say that he has a criminal history including armed robbery; the defense says that his record was in the ’80s, and his wife, who described him as disabled, told the court that he hasn’t had anything worse than a traffic ticket in the nearly 20 years they have been married. WSB and Channel 7 were the only media crews to cover the hearing; the judge ordered us not to show the suspect’s face (which would be against WSB policy until he is charged, anyway). No further details of the case were described in the hearing, but we expect probable-cause documents to be provided by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office shortly.

4:32 PM UPDATE: The “probable cause” documents are in. A transcription, ahead:Read More

(Saturday night photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
9:22 AM: We finally have official confirmation this morning that the man shot Saturday night by Morgan Junction Park did not survive. Harborview Medical Center and Seattle Police have both confirmed the death of the man identified by friends and family as 35-year-old Travis Hood. Friends say he had moved here just four months ago from Jacksonville, Florida, looking to live somewhere safer. His accused killer, a 67-year-old Gatewood man, is in the King County Jail; we’re awaiting word on whether he will be scheduled for a bail hearing today, at which time we should find out more about what investigators believe led to the shooting. Police have not commented yet on the circumstances, but as reported in our previous coverage, a friend of the victim, Jamie, told WSB on Sunday that he was with him when a man they didn’t know opened fire as they prepared to drive away after leaving a nearby bar; he says he drove his friend to Providence Mount St. Vincent, where police and medics found him, because he thought it was a hospital.

10:16 AM: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirms the suspect is scheduled for a bail hearing this afternoon.

11:29 AM NOTE: In case you wondered: This is the first homicide this year in West Seattle. The peninsula had two last year – the February 2011 murder of entertainer Hokum W. Jeebs in Fauntleroy (accused killer Angelo Felice is currently set to go to trial in March), and the murder-suicide of an Admiral couple in October.

Judging by the city’s online “incident-response” map, the snow and ice kept most burglars home. But the latest West Seattle Crime Watch reports indicate thieves haven’t taken time off. They did take a unique sled, as Lynda reports:

I wanted to get word out that our sled was stolen from in front of A Terrible Beauty (Wednesday) night between 6:30 and 7:00. It is not an ordinary sled. This is a beautiful, custom, handcrafted wooden box sled that my husband built about 20 years ago. It’s a one of a kind and we had gotten numerous compliments on it all day yesterday. We are crushed that someone would have taken this, it has so much sentimental value. We are offering a reward for the return of this family treasure.

She is checking for a photo, which we’ll add if and when we receive one. One more theft report – this one, from Erin in Seaview:

At 3 pm today we had our mail stolen out of our mailbox by a couple in a dark-colored Subaru outback with a light panel on the bottom. The license plate was 273-H_W … They backed into our driveway and the female passenger got out and took the mail. She was wearing a white puffer jacket. They have been reported to police. If you have seen them or have had your mail stolen today too, let me know. We are in the Seaview area near the church.

From an Alki resident who didn’t want to be identified: Her son lost school-related items, including college textbooks, in a daylight car break-in on Saturday:Read More

Another case today of bad things happening to good people … seems the latest parked car to be hit-and-run in West Seattle belongs to Jim Winder of Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular light-show fame. Jim lives in the 3400 block of 37th SW (map) and says someone smashed into his truck and took off:

I did not notice it was hit when I got home at around 4:30 (though it could have been damaged then) as I ride my Harley to work.

My son did say he heard a big bang around 3:40…also neighbor said he did not notice it when he got home… so could have happened between 3:30 and 5:30… though I was home and did not hear anything… so if anyone notices any new damage to the passenger side bumper of any cars in the area….

In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight – an update on the knifepoint robbery reported last night, plus a new report of street crime. First: Police went back today to the scene where a woman was held up at knifepoint last night by a robber who took her iPhone. They didn’t find the phone (a black iPhone 4S) but they did find the knife, described as a “dagger-style” weapon. We also have learned more about the arrest made in the case. After the victim reported the holdup in the 3400 block of SW 106th – where she was walking after getting off a Metro bus – Officer Scott Luckie (of “tweetalong” and burglary-arrests fame) was “working the area,” according to an SPD summary, and “spotted the suspect in the 9200 block of 35th … The suspect tried to hide from Officer Luckie, but Luckie was able to relocate him and detain him …” The summary identifies the suspect as a boy who turns 17 next month and is “on probation for robbery.” Since he is a juvenile, online records don’t show whether he is still in custody tonight, nor do they show full details of his record, but we did find partial information on a case in which he appears to have been charged with third-degree assault last August and pleaded guilty in late October.

Second – a robbery attempt last night in the Genesee area. The victim is a visitor from out of the country, and the people he’s staying with say it’s the second time he’s been victimized:Read More

“Concerned Neighbor” says a hit-run driver smacked into her car in the Admiral District last night, near California/Walker, leaving behind pieces like the one above. She’s telling her story in hopes you can help close the case:

I just wanted to write a note to share my unfortunate experience, I hope to maybe find the person who did this to me and hold them accountable for their actions and to make our neighborhood streets safer.

I’ve been a member of this community for nearly four years. I work at two local small businesses, and I own a small condo here. About eight months ago, I went to leave for work only to find that someone had attempted to steal my car, rendering it undrivable and valueless in the process. The car couldn’t be repaired and I couldn’t claim it on my insurance because due to numerous hit and run accidents over the years while my car was parked, I could no longer insure it for anything but liability. After a month of getting around without a vehicle, I withdrew my entire savings, secured a loan and purchased my first brand new car. A month later I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

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