The following are based on incident reports from the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct. They represent the officers’ accounts of the events described.

On the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 1, officers on a routine foot patrol through Cal Anderson Park were approached by a man who complained that another man was drinking beer in the park in clear violation of park rules and Seattle law. Not only that, but that man, who was drinking a Pabst Blue Ribbon 40-ouncer, was being rude as well. Officers were directed to the suspect, who was sitting on the “grassy knoll” just north of the Bobby Morris Playfield. He was in his mid-40s and was clearly intoxicated. At first glance he seemed to be offering sips of beer to his pit bull. Concerned that the pit bull might attack the officers if physical force became necessary, they asked the man to step away from his dog. The man refused and became belligerent. They grabbed him by his side. But he broke free and ran away, a process that was repeated several times before officers successfully detained him. The man spoke mostly gibberish, but eventually told the officers that he loved them, that they were only doing what they had to do. The next thing the officers had to do was arrest the man and book him into King County Jail. In addition to the open container citation, he was charged with assault and obstructing an officer.

Sometime between the hours of 5:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on Friday, July 31, officers responded to a 10th Avenue East business after the owner reported that his pants had been stolen. The owner said that the door to the back room, which opened to an alley, had been left unlocked. The pants were of minor importance, but the loss the man’s wallet and keys, which were in the pants, was of far greater concern. There were no suspects.

Also on Friday, July 31, but at a later hour (10:37 p.m.) officers on routine patrol were dispatched to a 19th Avenue apartment after a neighbor phoned in a noise complaint. The complaint did not involve a party or a large social gathering but was instead generated by a dog that howls in the night. The callers told officers that the dog’s owner frequently leaves the animal in his apartment for an extended period of time. After awhile the dog starts to howl. Beyond the irritation of the loud howls, the men were concerned that the dog is being neglected. They called police to have the situation documented and said they were going to call animal control.

During the evening of Thursday, July 30, a man called 911 to report that his messenger-style bag had been stolen. He told officers that he’d put the bag down in order to play dodge ball at the Cal Anderson Park tennis courts. When he returned, his bag was missing. Inside was a textbook and his laptop computer. There were no suspects. Police gave the man with a business card and an incident number.

At 2 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, officers responded to an assault call at East Pine Street and Belmont Avenue. Fire Department personnel were providing medical treatment to a man in his mid-40s when they arrived. They spoke to a witness first, who told them the victim had walked out of R Place and started harassing a homeless man who was sitting in a nearby doorway. The man in the doorway repeatedly asked to be left alone. But the verbal abuse continued until the man in the doorway punched his abuser, who then fell to the ground. The man then walked away. Officers next spoke with the victim, who was heavily intoxicated. He could barely stand and his speech was nearly unrecognizable. But he managed to say that another person had been harassing the man in the doorway, that he’d only gone over to ask if he was OK. The attack, he said, was unfounded. Officers were unable to locate the man in the doorway. The victim had scrapes on his knee, elbow and ear. He declined an invitation of additional medical assistance.