The victim in a strange assault last night was walking up John near Safeway when he was jumped by a man who leapt from a passing black Cadillac to attack the victim before jumping back in the car and speeding away down the hill, a witness told police Thursday night.
According to SPD, officers arrived at 14th and John just after the 8:30p attack to find a man being treated for a laceration to his nose suffered in the assault. The man said he did not know his attacker and did not know why he was jumped.
The witness said he was walking eastbound behind the victim when the black car suddenly came to a stop and a man in his 20s, who appeared to be either Hispanic or Asian and possibly had his hair pulled back in a ponytail, quickly emerged, ran toward the victim and assaulted him. The incident unfolded quickly but SPD was able to get a partial license plate number from a witness.
According to police, the witness and the victim did not report that the man said anything during the attack or that there was any indication that this was an attempted gay bashing at a time when much of the Hill is preparing for Pride celebrations.
The victim suffered a cut in the attack but declined transportation to the hospital.
I was the witness in this attack. It was so fast and for no clear reason? I hate violence. I hope the kid doesn’t take it against Seattle, being that he’s new to the city.
Thom, I’ve sent you email at the address you used for this comment. Please give me a call at 206-399-5959
Sorry, kid. I hope you meet a thousand wonderful Capitol Hill people to help make up for this because we really are a good neighborhood.
My condolences to the young man who was hit.
It may not be the same phenomenon, but I’ve heard of this kind of thing in other cities (where someone elderly or young out by themselves are attacked for no reason, perhaps other than a gang initiation) and hope that isn’t happening here.
I realize the attack came from nowhere, seemingly, and it was in a busy area, but it is important in a city especially when out alone,any time of the day, to stay aware of people around you and if you are alert to something being “off” for any reason, take an alternate route if possible.
I remember the bashings that occurred in the early ’70′s and beyond, those lessons have helped me stay safe over many years.
I’m sorry for you too, young man.
This is yet another senseless, brutal mugging on Capitol Hill…happens all too frequently. I’ve lived here a long time and still like it, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to think of our area as a “good neighborhood.”
I’ve lived on the hill for a couple of years now and while I live about 4 blocks from that Safeway, I refuse to go there and avoid walking around there. Too many times I’ve been in the parking lot and felt unsafe or wondered if a drug deal was taking place in the shadier parts of the parking lot. All I’m saying is that when I read “14th & John near Safeway”, my husband and I were like: “Oh. What a shock.”
Such a shame. I hope the young man is ok and here’s to catching the perpetrator.
I’m so sorry for this poor kid. What a terrible introduction to our city.