We spoke with a Seattle Police Department Public Information Officer this morning for more details on Wednesday morning’s attack. SPD spokesperson Mark Jamieson could not verify that a tire iron was used in the attack as we heard on the police radio scanner archives we reviewed in compiling our original report but he did provide details that corroborated the brutality of the attack. According to the report Jamieson shared with CHS, a man and his girlfriend were walking home from a bar on 15th Ave E when they were approached by two men on E. Prospect near 18th Ave E. One of the suspects suddenly grabbed the man’s shoulder and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. As the other suspect grabbed the woman’s purse, the man struggled to his feet before he was hit again and knocked unconscious. The suspects took off running and the woman gave chase but could not keep up, Jamieson said. The man who was hit regained consciousness and dialed 911 and the search recounted below played out but the suspects could not be found. Jamieson confirmed that the attackers were two hispanic males, both around 5’10” and in their late 20s. He said that the man and woman both believe they can identify the men if they see them again. Jamieson also noted that, despite facial injuries and being knocked out in the attack, the man declined any treatment at the scene.

Original Report 3/24/2010 11:22 PM:
A man was struck in the face with a tire iron and the woman he was with had her purse stolen in a violent street robbery at E. Prospect and 18th Ave early Wednesday morning. Police and K-9 units scoured the area shortly after the 1 AM attack, searching for two suspects described as white or hispanic males in their late 20s, both wearing dark hoodies with the hoods drawn tight to hide their faces.

No trace of the suspects was found. King County’s Guardian 1 helicopter was not deployed in the search. The Seattle Fire Department did not provide a great deal of information about the condition of the man who was attacked but did tell us he had facial injuries.

The information gathered above is from police radio chatter and we have not yet confirmed details with SPD.

CHS has covered a spate of street robberies on the Hill this year with most occurring below Broadway or on the edges of Pike/Pine. This attack is the first street robbery we’ve reported in the residential area near Volunteer Park. Last week, we reported on an alleged burglar caught in the act and a brazen purse snatch in the area, both on 19th Ave E.

In a post to our Crime Reports Forum tonight, suz provided some more info about the robbery — and asked why we hadn’t yet posted about the crime:

Anyone know about an assault early Wed morn at 130 AM near the corner of 18th and Prospect? Rumor has it a man was punched in the face while walking home with his girlfriend; he lost 4 teeth. The girlfriend lost her purse. Assailants were two ‘very normal looking’ guys, who walked away. Anyone know anything? Why isn’t this posted? The neighborhood where this occurred is very quiet and filled with families.

We’ve been working on this story today but gathering information around this kind of crime sometimes puts us at the mercy of the public information process at SPD. Anytime you have something you feel we should be sharing on the site, please send mail to [email protected]. We gather a lot of news around the Hill — but we also depend on you for so much of the tips and information that help us put the stories together.