Just reported (thanks to Katie for the tip): Two men held up Papa John’s on California SW north of SW Brandon (map). They’re described on the scanner as one black, one Samoan, both wearing ski masks and gloves, dark clothing, both displayed guns. They were reported to have left through the back door. A K-9 unit is helping police search. Witnesses are telling police, according to scanner traffic, that they got away in a mid-’90s silver Acura with a “mismatched wheel on the passenger side.” Call 911 if you have any tips. 11 PM UPDATE: Per the scanner, a car close to the getaway car’s description – with a “slope” that may be related to the “mismatched wheel” – was seen speeding across the West Seattle Bridge and exiting to northbound I-5. (Could be a coincidence, though, so do still keep an eye out here.) 12:21 AM UPDATE: Added photo by Christopher Boffoli, as police continued to search the alley behind the restaurant, where the robbers were last seen.
10:17 AM UPDATE (WEDNESDAY): Just checked with police – according to Officer Renee Witt in the SPD Media Unit, neither the robbers nor their car have been found yet.
Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch starts with that surveillance video just in from a Highland Park resident near 5th SW and Cloverdale (map). He has just also given that video to police who are investigating the theft of a parcel from his doorstep, delivered today containing an “expensive motorcycle helmet” around 2 pm, then stolen, according to his surveillance camera, about three hours later. He says, “It amazes me that someone can get away with this in broad daylight, and has made me feel oddly violated – even though they didn’t enter my home.” If you recognize the car/person, call police.
Second of three items in Crime Watch tonight:
Local businesses are being warned by police about another string of business burglaries. The photo above was sent by Christopher Boffoli via iPhone about this time last night at the 38th/Alaska (map) construction site for Link, where police responded to a burglary alarm; site owner Harbor Properties tells WSB that nothing was taken. This coincides, though, with something else we’d been checking out: A WSB’er e-mailed to say he was in a West Seattle store when police officers came in to give shopkeepers a heads-up about area business break-ins. Lt. Norm James at the Southwest Precinct confirms: “We had 8 commercial burglaries last week that appear unrelated, but just to be on the safe side we started notifying businesses” – that, he says, is also part of the new Business Watch program (as reported here), a business version of Block Watch. (Sorry, we don’t have the burglary locations, so far.)
Third and final Crime Watch report tonight – just got this note, from a West Seattleite who didn’t want his name used, about a home break-in attempt:
I live in the 7500 block of 31st Ave SW [map]. My wife got home this afternoon at 2pm and she found that one of the patio furniture chairs had been removed from our deck and placed under a window in the backyard. Someone had tried to force the window open, failed, and tried to wipe away any indications of them having been there. Thankfully they were unable to get inside, we presume our dog and the neighbor’s dogs likely spooked the criminal. We notified the police who gave us an “event number” and spoke with a few neighbors, but no one saw or heard anything.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tonight marks the debut of a new WSB feature – and a new contributor. Megan Sheppard won’t be new to you, though, if you read the Police Blotter column she wrote for the West Seattle Herald for a decade. Recently, after hearing she had decided to leave that role, we told Megan – semi-jokingly – that if she ever decided she missed going through the police reports, looking for the stories that had gone (mostly) unreported, we’d welcome her help … and she took us up on it. Megan has deep West Seattle roots, as the daughter of longtime prominent community advocate and entrepreneur Virgil Sheppard (featured last summer in our story about the West Seattle Grand Parade‘s Orville Rummel Trophy), and we look forward to having her contribute more than “just” these roundups. But for starters – here’s the first installment.)
By Megan Sheppard
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*In the Youngstown area, a man walked into his kitchen and found that a crossbow bolt (the pointy, “business end” of the projectile) had been shot into his home and was stuck in the window blinds.
*Someone threw two large logs onto the roof and hood of a vintage car in the Admiral area last week.
Two West Seattle Crime Watchreports from the inbox tonight – a stolen car to watch out for, and a case of “metal trolling” with a witness wondering if anything got stolen as a result – read on for details:Read More
ORIGINAL 2:35 PM REPORT: Thanks to everybody who e-mailed (etc.) about a sizable police presence on Genesee Hill, around 50th/Genesee. We went over to check, and most of the officers were gone, but we noted a Tukwila Police car on scene along with Seattle Police (see photo). Sgt. Sean Whitcomb of the SPD Media Unit only has preliminary information, but he says notes in the system indicate police made some kind of “felony stop” – arresting someone for a potential felony, which usually means lots of backup and guns drawn – and also that it may indeed have something to do with a case in Tukwila. We’re still working to find out more.
6 PM UPDATE: Update from Sgt. Joe Maccarrone: “It was a van taken from Tukwila in a carjacking; our guys spotted it in West Seattle, and one suspect was taken into custody without incident. (Suspect) and van were both turned over to Tukwila PD.”
We are at the King County Courthouse downtown, where Judge Carol Schapira presided over sentencings this afternoon, including that of 24-year-old Tyler Ljubich, found guilty in August of robbing West Seattle’s Westside Pharmacy during its post-closure inventory a year ago (here’s our original story). The prosecutor recommended the high end of the “standard sentencing range,” 41 to 54 months in prison, pointing out that witnesses testified Ljubich had a gun, though none was found, and that he had previously served prison time for shooting at a parked car in 2007 (as detailed in our earlier coverage); the defense requested the low end, saying that Ljubich had strong family support in the community (his father and two aunts were in the courtroom – the defense lawyer told the judge his mother died a few months ago) and was conducting himself well in jail, including taking classes. Judge Schapira went with the defense’s recommendation and sentenced Ljubich (the photo at right is from his previous prison term) to “the low end” of the range – he also will get credit for the year he has been in jail since his arrest, which happened in an incident that made news when he ran from police and wound up on the Schmitz Park Elementary campus.
If you’re in Westwood or Gatewood or Sunrise Heights and wondering about all the commotion – a search is under way after a crash. We’ve been listening to the search on the scanner – a K-9 is involved, and the Guardian One helicopter just joined in, too. According to Ken, one car hit two parked cars in the 7900 block of 30th SW (map), and the people inside apparently left the scene. 11:46 PM UPDATE: Scanner indicates police are still searching within a radius of at least a few blocks. 11:51 PM: The helicopter’s leaving but ground search continues.
Thank you all for your kind words and compassion. The family is thankful and appreciative for all the support we’ve received from the community at large.
The family is in need of financial assistance for medical, funeral and other various expenses associated with the memorial services and ceremonies. If you are able and willing to contribute to the benevolent fund, please see the information below.
“The Thy Luellen Benevolent Account”
BECU Acct #: 3586082948
Please include both Account Name and Number when making out a check. Deposits can be made at any BECU location with a deposit box, or by mail (address below). BECU members can deposit funds electronically by calling (800) 233-2328.
BECU
PO BOX 34044
SEATTLE, WA 98124-1044
At this point, any amount helps.
As noted here earlier today, the Seattle Times (WSB partner) has spoken with the only family member who survived being shot (she’s out of the hospital); memorial services are set for this weekend.
The video clip is from a Seattle Times (WSB partner) interview with 42-year-old Thyda Luellen Phan, the only person who survived being shot at a Highland Park home one week ago today. She is the daughter of the woman police say killed three before killing herself, 60-year-old Saroueun Sok; the three who died were Phan’s husband, 43-year-old Choeun Harm, and daughters, 14-year-old Molina Phan and 17-year-old Jennifer Harm. The Times reports that the funerals will be held this Saturday; you can read their full story, which is accompanied by the video clip, by going here. Meantime, as announced by the family last Friday, there is a fund to which you can contribute, through BECU:
Just in from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: Charges are now filed against 20-year-old Shavelle Lewis, who had to be released from jail last night (WSB coverage here) because charges hadn’t been filed against her yet for the crash that killed 51-year-old William “Tony” Padilla, a driver for West Seattle-based GT Towing. She is charged with Vehicular Homicide and Felony Hit and Run, and a $150,000 warrant is out for her re-arrest. [Update: Lewis was booked back into jail at 6:23 pm.] We have the charging documents and will transcribe the narrative as soon as possible. ADDED 4:50 PM: The narrative from the charging documents (added in stages but complete as of 5:25 pm), after the jump:Read More
The Southwest Precinct‘s new – yet not-so-new – commander made a guest appearance at tonight’s meeting of the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network. Nine months after leaving his prior West Seattle post as the precinct’s 2nd-in-command, newly promoted Captain Steve Paulsen is returning to take over for Captain Joe Kessler, who’s moving to the sprawling West Precinct (headquartered downtown but including turf far to the north and south). Tonight, Capt. Paulsen – pictured above with WSBWCN’s Deborah Greer – told the Block Watch group, “I’m your biggest cheerleader for this thing – please let me know what we can do.” Several said they would like to know sooner when crime happens on their block – they appreciate the flyers that Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow has been distributing after burglaries, but those come days if not weeks later. Capt. Paulsen mentioned the city’s new crime maps (which you can explore here and here), describing them as a work in progress. Ahead – the Block Watch angle on last week’s deadly crimes, and on the newly proposed city budget:Read More
Two burglary reports tonight from the WSB inbox – first one, from a newlywed couple describing it as a “heartbreaking way to start our lives together,” with a message to the burglar(s) – read on:Read More
Thanks to those who called to let us know about a significant police presence at 32nd/Cloverdale, including officers with rifles out. Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James says it involved a report of an armed man apparently threatening to harm himself. He says the man is in custody.
(Memorial in Roxhill Park paying tribute to the victim, photographed by WSB last Sunday)
Just in from Seattle Police – a 21-year-old man is in custody in connection with last week’s Roxhill Park murder (original WSB report here). The brief police update is on SPD Blotter – it says the suspect’s been in custody since last Thursday. That’s the same day the victim found early Wednesday morning was officially identified as 40-year-old Bernard Martin, as the Medical Examiner confirmed he was killed by injuries including broken ribs. More info to come.
2:36 PM UPDATE: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says the suspect, 21-year-old Chatri Lime Thip (DOC mugshot added, at right), is charged with second-degree murder and is jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. The motive was said to be “rage” experienced by the suspect after the victim walked up to him and asked for a beer while Thip was drinking beer reportedly stolen nearby. The murder weapon: A shopping cart. We are reviewing the paperwork now and will add more details from the narrative shortly.
ADDED 2:56 PM:The narrative, transcribed, in progress – adding in chunks (so keep refreshing if you see this before it’s finished):Read More
(Flowers and a flag decorate the victim’s truck at the GT yard on Harbor Avenue) ORIGINAL 12:22 PM UPDATE: Four days after the hit-run crash on I-5 that killed a driver for West Seattle-based GT Towing (here’s our Friday report), the suspect will be released from jail, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Today is the deadline for either filing charges or releasing the 20-year-old suspect, and KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says the case hasn’t yet been referred to their office by the Washington State Patrol, so no charges will be filed today, which means the law requires the suspect be released. That does NOT mean charges aren’t possible at a future date, however. The suspect, a 20-year-old woman, is believed to have been at the wheel when hit and killed 51-year-old GT driver William Padilla of Burien, known as Tony according to comments in our original report. We checked with GT, and they don’t have word on memorial arrangements for Mr. Padilla yet – most of his family, they say, is out of state. King County Jail records, meantime, show the suspect was in jail less than 24 hours before the crash, on a failure-to-appear warrant from a previous hit-run case, and that this was her fifth stay in the jail since February; the other cases also included prostitution arrests. (Note: As of 4:26 pm, she is still in jail.)
7:11 PM UPDATE: Just checked the jail register. The suspect is out as of just minutes ago (6:58 pm). As per a link noted by JanS in comments, the State Patrol told the Seattle Times that the case will be referred tomorrow, that the investigator did not want to rush it and make a mistake.
Thanks to Sara for the tip via Twitter about police activity at 20th/Holden (map) earlier this morning. We checked with Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James, who says they got a call about two men seen removing items from a vacant house there – one suspect ran away, one drove away, so nobody’s in custody so far. Another vacant house figures into an update this morning from Mariko regarding her stolen car (which was noted in this Crime Watch roundup last night):
Wanted to let you guys know that my car was recovered in a house that is for sale, but vacant. The SPD told me that the due to the large numbers of homes for sale that are vacant, many thieves find this the perfect place to store stolen cars. Just a good tip for neighbors that notice strange cars in driveways – they might be stolen.
And a crimefighting reminder – the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network has its first meeting in a few months tomorrow (Tuesday) night – more info on its website.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports from the WSB inbox in the past few days – a car theft, a car break-in, and a condo building repeatedly burglarized – read on:Read More
(Scroll down for statement from victims’ family, released by hospital this afternoon)
(Asst. Chief Jim Pugel’s remarks to the media from Seattle Police Headquarters)
2:02 PM: Police are now briefing the media on what they’ve learned about the shootings yesterday afternoon that left four people dead at a home on 14th SW in West Seattle. Here’s our original Thursday afternoon coverage.
BRIEFING NOTES, AS THEY HAPPEN: Police are circulating photos of the weapons they say were used. Here’s the 25 caliber handgun:
Here’s the 9 millimeter:
At least 20 rounds were fired inside the house, Assistant Chief Jim Pugel says. They are trying to figure out “the source” of the guns. They know they were not stolen, and that the woman “did not have a permit.” (They clarify that she would not have needed one just to keep them in the house.)
*They say they are going to play a recording of some of the 911 calls – they want to single out exceptional police work (they name Sgt. Tony Bailey).
*First, they are recounting how events unfolded after police got the call. So far, nothing has changed from the story that was disclosed yesterday. But they still don’t know the motive.
*2:10 PM: They’re playing recordings of communication between dispatch and officers. The tapes reveal the terse, precise, urgent communication between police who did not know initially where the suspect was and if there was still danger.
*2:16 PM: Police say they have heard that the 60-year-old alleged killer was suffering from mental illness, but they have not been able to confirm it independently. They say the lone survivor of the shootings “is expected to recover.” They do not yet know who was shot first.
*2:22 PM: Assistant Chief Pugel again singles out Sgt. Bailey for his exceptional work in keeping other officers from going into potential harm’s way when the reality of the situation wasn’t immediately clear – “he was very specific about getting what we call a contact team, properly trained and equipped one, before he let anyone get exposed – and he did it very fast.” Police were there when the last two shots were fired, he says: “You could actually hear the pops.”
2:27 PM: The briefing is over. We are still awaiting word on whether the Medical Examiner will officially identify the victims today – they usually update their daily media report after 3 pm. Meantime, the recording of police communication during the incident was played again after the briefing – here’s Media Unit Det. Mark Jamieson at the laptop:
Police tell us they likely will finish their work at the house later today.
3:09 PM UPDATE: A statement from the family, including information on how to help, circulated by Harborview Medical Center, where the shooting survivor is being cared for:
Statement from Phan, Harm & Sok Family
Yesterday afternoon’s horrible event cost us four family members. They will surely be missed by all of us.
We ask that the media please correct the currently published report. Saroeun Phan has been struggling with schizophrenia and depression for several years and has sought medical attention numerous times. She has been taking medication prescribed to her by physicians. It is not certain whether she has been properly taking her medication these past couple of months.
It is tough enough to grieve with the loss of family members, it’s even harder dealing with false reports. No arguments or fights took place the night before and no ill-will existed in the household. This has truly been an unforeseen, tragic event.
Our family would like to request solitude as we mourn the loved ones we lost. Thank you to all who have sent and continue to send their love, care & prayers. We will certainly need our friends in the coming weeks & months.
If you wish to contribute monetarily to costs of funeral & medical expenses, we have set up a benevolent account at BECU. That information is below. Deposits can be made at any BECU accepting deposits, by mail or electronically (for BECU Members only).
‘Phan/Harm Memorial Fund’
Acct # 3586082948
BECU
PO BOX 34044
SEATTLE, WA 98124-1044
BECU Members can call: (800) 233-2328
Thankfully,
Phan, Harm & Sok Family
7:23 PM UPDATE: Adding some more video from today’s press conference. This is the question and answer session with additional information:
This morning, police tape still ringed the Highland Park house where four people died yesterday afternoon (WSB coverage here) – when, police say, a woman opened fire on four family members – her son-in-law and two teenage granddaughters died, her daughter survived. They have not been officially identified yet, but a family member gave their names to our partners at the Seattle Times, saying the two youngest victims were 14 and 17 years old. We checked with Seattle Public Schools to see if they were currently enrolled in any area schools; the district tells us that while they were SPS students last year, they were not enrolled this year. Police have yet to release new information today but we expect to hear the latest when they brief media at SPD headquarters downtown at 2 pm. 1:38 PM NOTE: We expect to start a new story once the police briefing starts, with text highlights as well as a live stream (hopefully from the Seattle Times).
An employee of West Seattle’s GT Towing was killed in a hit-and-run overnight, according to the Washington State Patrol, which sent a news release saying two suspects are in custody, 31-year-old and 20-year-old men:
A tow truck driver was struck and killed on the entrance ramp from Spokane Street to southbound Interstate 5 at approximately 1:15 a.m. while securing a vehicle from an earlier collision. The driver, a 51 year old male working for GT Towing in Seattle, was kneeling down at the left front side of the disabled vehicle when a southbound 2000 Ford Explorer lost control while travelling in the HOV lane. The Explorer came across all 5 southbound lanes and struck the tow truck driver. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
After colliding with the tow truck operator, disabled vehicle, and tow truck, the Explorer spun back across all southbound lanes and came to rest facing northbound in the middle of the freeway. As the tow truck driver lay mortally wounded in the right lane, the driver of the Explorer turned the vehicle around and fled the scene southbound on Interstate 5. Alert troopers located the Explorer within minutes of the collision at the bottom of the Michigan Street ramp as one of the occupants was outside urinating. …
The cause of the collision is under investigation and detectives are working to verify who was driving the SUV. It is believed that both occupants were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the collision. Vehicular homicide and hit and run charges are expected as the investigation progresses.
Though it is certainly overshadowed by what happened on 14th SW this afternoon, the investigation continues into what was West Seattle’s first murder of 2010 – discovered just yesterday morning (WSB coverage here). Tonight, the man found dead in Roxhill Park around 7:30 am Wednesday is officially identified as 40-year-old Bernard Martin, and the Medical Examiner’s media-hotline report also describes his cause of death as injuries to “the trunk,” primarily rib fractures – police had said he appeared to have been beaten, but had not elaborated. Prior to Mr. Martin’s death, West Seattle hadn’t had a murder case since February 2009 – there were two in 2009, one in 2008, two in 2007 (a third homicide case was ruled self-defense), and we haven’t finished researching 2006 yet (we started covering news in late 2006). No word of an arrest, or even a suspect description, in Wednesday’s killing.
(These updates run through late Thursday night – we will start a new followup story by midmorning Friday)
ORIGINAL 1:46 PM REPORT: We are on our way to the assault-with-weapons call at 14th and Roxbury – more when we know it. The scanner is talking about an “armed suspect” – stay clear of the area. It’s a reported shooting and police are not sure where the suspect is. Scanner indicates possible multiple victims but we don’t have any information yet on their condition(s) or the circumstances.
1:56 PM UPDATE: Two medic units were originally dispatched and a third is now being sent. Scanner confirms at least one patient with a gunshot wound. SWAT units are on the scene as well. The scanner also indicates at least two guns were found inside the house – described as a “9 millimeter and 25 automatic.” The actual address is in the 9400 block of 14th SW (map) which is closer to Cambridge than Roxbury.
2:04 PM UPDATE: One victim is described on scanner as appearing to have three gunshot wounds; this is a 42-year-old female. The medic says on the scanner that SPD has advised fire of possibly “two or three more patients with gunshot wounds.” According to our partners at the Seattle Times, the suspect has been initially described as a 61-year-old Asian woman in white shirt and gray sweatpants.”
2:18 PM UPDATE: Scanner says four DOAs in the house. Again, this is per the scanner, we are still waiting to hear from public info officer at the scene. One survivor, as mentioned earlier, was taken to the hospital. This is the second murder case in West Seattle in two days – after none for more than a year and a half.
2:29 PM UPDATE: Police have briefed media at the scene. We will upload video of the briefing shortly. They are not confirming the conditions of the people at the house but they say the suspect is believed to be one of the four people they say are inside the house. They say the original call came around 1 pm, “shots fired” – and when they arrived, they heard more shots fired. Roxbury is closed westbound near the scene – so traffic effects are stretching beyond the immediate scene.
2:42 PM UPDATE: Christopher Boffoli, part of the WSB team at the scene, says police confirm the four deaths and one survivor and believe that the suspect is among the dead. Assistant chief Jim Pugel’s briefing per Christopher: “Confirmed four dead, including the shooter who is a Southeast Asian woman in her late 50s or early 60’s. It is believed that all involved are the same family. The woman who was transported to Harborview is believed to be the daughter who told police ‘my mother has gone crazy.’ Two handguns were recovered. The husband was outside the house. He broke through the police cordon and went inside. He made it back out alive and is not among the victims. There is a language barrier the officers are working through.”
3:08 PM UPDATE: More from Christopher at the scene – regarding the language barrier, the family is reported to speak Cambodian, according to neighbors. (We did hear a scanner call earlier for a Cambodian translator.) Southwest Precinct commander Captain Joe Kessler is there – this comes just a week before a scheduled command change at the precinct. CSI vans also just arrived on scene about 10 minutes ago. Adding a few additional photos. (All photos we are using were taken by either Christopher Boffoli or Patrick Sand.)
3:15 PM UPDATE: Police are starting to release more information about the people who were found dead: Two women in their late teens and a man in his 30s, in addition to the suspected shooter, now described as a woman in her fifties. Meantime, Christopher reports Roxbury has reopened to traffic – but is slow going with rubberneckers passing what is a clearly visible, sizable police presence.
3:33 PM UPDATE: Seattle Police have posted a summary in multiple tweets – we will transcribe here since they have not posted to their SPD Blotter site yet:
Around 1:31 p.m. officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 9400 block of 14th Avenue SW. Upon arrival, they made contact with an adult female in her 30s who had been shot in the 1400 block of SW Roxbury. Shots were still being fired. While police were still arriving a man in his 50s ran into the house in question. Two more shots were fired and he ran back out. Officers contacted him. He told officers that his wife had shot herself. Officers entered the house and located four people deceased, two women in their late teens, a man in his thirties and a woman in her 50s. Medics were not able to revive any of them. The woman who was discovered outside of the house was transported to HMC for treatment of gunshot injuries. It is believed that the deceased woman in her 50s was the shooter. Two handguns have been recovered. We don’t believe that there are any other victims. Homicide, SWAT, CSI and KCSO are on scene. No motive is known. This is an active investigation and this information is preliminary. Check here for further updates.
4:25 PM UPDATE: Here’s video of Sgt. Sean Whitcomb from the SPD media unit in what’s likely to be the last briefing of the day – he called the crime scene “pretty vicious”:
7:28 PM UPDATE: Checking back at the scene: Police say the medical examiner has just arrived – which would indicate the victims’ bodies have not yet been removed. In the past two hours, we also have added a few more images from this afternoon, photographed as events unfolded. (The photo atop the story is still a cameraphone picture sent from the scene shortly after we arrived.) At the scene tonight, people are still being kept at a distance, media included. In case you are wondering whether anyone has set up any kind of a memorial – no one has been allowed close enough for anything like that to be arranged, or visible.
8:12 PM NOTE: The White Center Community Safety Coalition, whose coverage area includes the neighborhood where today’s shooting happened, had its regularly scheduled meeting tonight, barely a block away from the scene. We attended (we usually cover it anyway for partner site White Center Now) but – not surprisingly – law enforcers weren’t there this time, so there was no new information about the case. The basic summary on SPD Blotter remains the most recent official word.
10:50 PM: Two images from the scene tonight, from Christopher Boffoli. In the first, you see authorities inside the residence, as they prepared to bring out the four bodies:
Official identification is not expected before tomorrow. The Times has spoken to family members and has published the names they were given (here’s their updated story) – reporting that the two teenage girls who were killed were the alleged killer’s granddaughters, 17 and 14 years old.
Thomas Qualls, the Alki man shot by police when he allegedly fired at them, was in court this morning. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe says he pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree assault (each of which has a “firearms enhancement”). He remains in jail, where he’s been since he was released from the hospital five days after the September 3rd shooting; his next court date is October 6th. (For the police narrative of how the incident reportedly unfolded, see our story from the day charges were filed.)
Two 
he had previously served prison time for shooting at a parked car in 2007 (
If you’re in Westwood or Gatewood or Sunrise Heights and wondering about all the commotion – a search is under way after a crash. We’ve been listening to the search on the scanner – a K-9 is involved, and the Guardian One helicopter just joined in, too. According to Ken, one car hit two parked cars in the 7900 block of 30th SW (
The Southwest Precinct‘s new – yet not-so-new – commander made a guest appearance at tonight’s meeting of the 
2:36 PM UPDATE: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says the suspect, 21-year-old Chatri Lime Thip (DOC mugshot added, at right), is charged with second-degree murder and is jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. The motive was said to be “rage” experienced by the suspect after the victim walked up to him and asked for a beer while Thip was drinking beer reportedly stolen nearby. The murder weapon: A shopping cart. We are reviewing the paperwork now and will add more details from the narrative shortly.
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