• Armed robbery arrests: SPD took two armed suspects into custody in the U District after reports of two gunpoint robberies along 24th Ave E Thursday night. Details at this point are not confirmed but K9 units were active near the scene of the first reported robbery near 24th and Howell and at the Montlake scene near Boyer at Edgar. The victims in both robberies told police one suspect brandished a pistol with a long barrel during the hold-ups. The suspects reportedly fled the second robbery on bikes they stashed nearby. According to police radio reports, an officer found the suspects near 43rd and Roosevelt just after 10:30 PM and held them at gunpoint. Both suspects were found to be armed by police. Police also reportedly found the ID of one of the victims at the scene. UPDATE: The preliminary report on the arrests has been added below. Both weapons recovered from the suspects turned out to be airguns.
• Parking enforcement officer injured in collision: SPD has posted details of a Thursday afternoon car crash that temporarily trapped a traffic cop insider her cart near 11th and Alder:

PEO Injured in Traffic Collision
Officers are actively investigating a traffic collision involving an injured Parking Enforcement Officer (PEO).  At approximately 4:47 p.m. this afternoon officers responded to the intersection of East Alder Street and 11th Avenue for the report of a collision involving a PEO and a Nissan Pathfinder.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a female PEO was traveling northbound on 11th Avenue in her three-wheeled PEO scooter.  At the same time a man believed to be in his 40′s was driving a maroon Nissan Pathfinder westbound on East Alder Street approaching 11th Avenue.  The two vehicles collided at or near the intersection with the PEO scooter overturning before coming to rest.

Both the PEO and the Nissan driver were transported to Harborview Medical Center, each with non-life-threatening injuries.

The events leading up to the collision remain under active investigation.

Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives are responding to the scene to assume control of the active and on-going investigation.

 

UPDATE: Report on the robbery arrests —

Two Robbery Suspects Arrested After Incidents in Central District, Montlake
Written by Detective Mark Jamieson on April 19, 2013
Two robbery suspects are now in custody following armed robberies last night in the Central District and Montlake neighborhoods.
Last night, at 9:50 pm, a woman was robbed at gunpoint while she was walking in the 1700 Block of 24th Avenue. According to the victim, the suspects, described as two black males, approached her and took her purse before fleeing northbound on foot. The victim was not injured and was able to call 911.
About 15 minutes later, 911 received a call regarding two suspicious black males in front of a residence in the 300 Block of 22nd Avenue East. The suspects matched the description of the earlier incident. Officers responded along with a K-9 team and conducted a search, but did not locate the suspects.
While officers were investigating the two incidents, a second armed robbery occurred at Boyer Avenue East and East Edgar Street at around 10:30 pm. A woman was approached by two black males and robbed of her wallet and cell phone at gunpoint. The victim was not injured. She did tell officers that at least one of the suspects was riding a bicycle. Again, the suspects left northbound.
Realizing that the suspects were generally headed in a northbound direction, several East Precinct officers headed up to the University District to search for them. About 10 minutes after the Boyer robbery, an officer saw two black males riding bicycles in the area of 42nd Avenue and Roosevelt. Both suspects matched the physical description provided in the earlier robberies. The two suspects were stopped and identified. One suspect had a BB gun in his waistband and the other admitted that he had a BB gun in his backpack.
The suspects were detained while the victims were brought by and they positively identified both males as the correct suspects. Both suspects were then arrested. During a search of the suspects, the victim’s stolen property was recovered. Officers were also able to recover the victim’s purse from some nearby bushes.
The suspects, ages 18 and 16, were interviewed by Robbery Unit detectives. Following the interview, the 18 year old suspect was booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery and the juvenile suspect was booked into the Youth Services Center for the same charge. Robbery detectives will be responsible for the follow up investigation.