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Police investigating E Pike group beating — UPDATE: SPD asks for help

Police are investigating after a man was beaten unconscious by a group in the middle of E Pike early Saturday morning.

The attack was described by a witness on Reddit:

Last night right around 2am on Pike and Boylston I saw a group of 4 or 5 dudes chase another guy into the street, throw him on the ground, kick him in the head, then stomp on his head. One of the assailants was pulled off of the victim while trying to steal his wallet. After speaking to the women the victim was with, it turned out that the group of guys had been sexually harassing the women, and when their male friend stepped in they beat him and tried to mug him. The police came very quickly and the dude was hauled off in an ambulance after coming to, but as far as I could see the perpetrators were not found.

Police and Seattle Fire were called to the intersection of Pike and Boylston early Saturday just after 2 AM to a report that a group was fighting and one man was down in the street. Police arrived to find the victim unconscious but breathing. He was taken to the hospital and recovered enough over the weekend to talk to KIRO about the attack.

Police were looking for a group of 10 to 12 black males reported by witnesses to have attacked the man and stole his phone. There were no immediate arrests.

Meanwhile, only minutes later, a man was reportedly stabbed with a needle in a separate incident at E Pike and 11th. There are no further details available on that assault at this time.

Earlier this month, more than 40 Pike/Pine businesses called on Mayor Ed Murray and SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole to help pay for increased foot and bike patrols in the popular nightlife area.

UPDATE 3/30/2015 11:15 AM: We’re told an update from SPD on the incident is planned for later today.

UPDATE x2: Here’s the update — you can provide information to detectives at (206) 684-5535.

Police Seek Leads In Saturday Robbery On Capitol Hill
Written by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on March 30, 2015 11:36 am
A man beaten and robbed by group of suspects on Capitol Hill early Saturday told officers he didn’t get a good look at his attackers, but police are hoping witnesses may be able to provide leads in the case.
The victim and two female friends were leaving a bar in the 700 of Pike Street around 2 AM when a large group of men began following them. The women told police the suspects repeatedly grabbed at them and said “I just want to hug you.”
When the victim told the group of men to leave his friends alone, they suspects punched the victim, knocked him to the ground, and began kicking and stomping on him.
The suspects rifled through the victim’s pockets for his wallet as he lay on the pavement, and then ran off eastbound on Pike Street.
A bystander flagged down officers, who found the unconscious victim and called for medics.
The victim regained consciousness, but he wasn’t able to provide police many details about the group of men who attacked him. Security guards from a nearby club told officers they had seen a group of 8-10 men assaulting the victim, and broke up the fight, but couldn’t give much of a description of the men, either.
Medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Robbery detectives are investigating the case and asking anyone with information to call (206) 684+5535.

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Jim98122x
Jim98122x
8 years ago

Doesn’t it seem a gang of 10-12 guys, even if they’re not doing anything, would stand out enough that cops would at least notice them– and have them on their radar? Especially right after closing time. Maybe that’s asking too much, but geeze– how can you miss a group of 10?

Ryan
8 years ago
Reply to  Jim98122x

Ten probably wouldn’t stand out amongst the hundreds (maybe thousands) of people on pike/pine at bar time.

DB McWeeberton
DB McWeeberton
8 years ago
Reply to  Ryan

And how many cops are actually out on the Pike-Pine streets during the late night hours Friday & Saturday? As long as they’re not a visible presence, it’ll be a free for all out there.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
8 years ago
Reply to  DB McWeeberton

Exactly. If there are so few cops out that they don’t notice a group of 10-12 guys together, even with all the crowds out at closing time, we don’t have enough cops out. Especially at closing time.

Pend Ejos
Pend Ejos
8 years ago
Reply to  Jim98122x

Come on! do you really expect your PD to follow people around because they KNOW they will do something? Most would consider that harassment or over-policing or excessive abuse of authority. After all are you not free to roam the streets without being watched by “the man”. There was a time when the PD was hard on criminals, not today.

You are way to hammered when you leave the bars. You argue over stupid stuff and expect the world to see things your way. You end up in fights and some of you get knocked out over whatever stance you made. Was it worth it? Would you do it again?

Have your fun…then GO HOME! before you end up on the pavement. There are bad people out there and they have the right to be there….until they get caught doing their deeds.

JB
JB
8 years ago

If it’s a question of funding, how about a 50 cent surcharge on each mixed drink sold on Friday or Saturday night. Let the drunkards and fratbros directly fund the police resources that their presence requires.

Jay
Jay
8 years ago
Reply to  JB

“…how about a 50 cent surcharge on each mixed drink sold on Friday or Saturday night. Let the drunkards and fratbros directly fund the police resources that their presence requires.”

A group of 10-12 black men harass women and then beat, stomping on the head of a man coming to their defense, and you want to create a 50 cent surcharge on “each mixed drink”. Did you write this as some type of humor, an attempt at irony or sarcasm? If not, at what point did your mind begin to function in this way?

r
r
8 years ago
Reply to  Jay

Is there something wrong with your reading comprehension?

Did you not understand the “50 cent surcharge”…to…”fund the police resources that their presence requires.”

tim
tim
8 years ago

This is the reality of crime on Capitol Hill, it’s more politically acceptable to say we are cracking on hate crime, but crime is crime. Capitol hill should be for everyone, except the criminals.

Concerned
Concerned
8 years ago

But wait, #CapHillPSA tells me it’s only the straight, white, affluent douchebros who commit assaults!

Seriously though, this is a horrendous event. Hopefully the perpetrators are caught and punished to the full extent of the law. I sincerely hope it isn’t a harbinger for another violent summer on the Hill.

dc
dc
8 years ago
Reply to  Concerned

actually the caphillpsa stuff is about neighborhood tourism and rapid gentrification, which brings rich and clueless people to the area, which in turn makes it a great place to mug them.

It *is* mostly “straight, white, affluent douchebros” making pike/pine intolerable on the weekends, but crime is a habit that transcends race, class, and creed.

Jomama
Jomama
8 years ago

Two words: street cameras

eric
eric
8 years ago
Reply to  Jomama

two words: big brother

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
8 years ago
Reply to  eric

I’ll gladly trade the creepy-factor of being on camera for the safety that comes from knowing there’s a lower chance I’ll get beat, mugged, and/or killed. I’m not worried about being filmed. I’m never doing anything that film-worthy anyway.

eric
eric
8 years ago
Reply to  Jim98122x

drunk assholes don’t stop and think “before I beat this guy with my drunk buddies, I better make sure there are no cameras on me”

I would like it if the hill was safer, but I’m not trying to rely on the city to make it so

zeebleoop
zeebleoop
8 years ago
Reply to  eric

no, they may not stop and think about the cameras but the cameras sure can be used to help track where those drunk assholes go after they beat someone. plus, you now have their description. which would be more than what we have right now.

NotCool
NotCool
8 years ago
Reply to  Jomama

It doesn’t have to be the cops/city…. if the businesses put up cameras, Pike/Pine would be a safer place.

bb
bb
8 years ago

Same old, same old.

trackback

[…] Local media reports are censoring all mention of the race of the perpetrators. The police report describes the attackers as 10-12 black males. […]

Soft on crime
Soft on crime
8 years ago

Thank God our county government is caving on the size of the new kiddie jail. Undoubtedly this happened because the “youth” who beat that guy were incarcerated at one time. Let’s all have an impromptu dance party to celebrate!

Donna Webb
Donna Webb
8 years ago

The Seattle PD should take an idea from the Chicago PD who patrol Rush Street on Friday and Saturday nights. They have at 4 Beat cops walking the sidewalk every 10 feet all night and Mobile Booking stations A.K.A. Paddy Wagons visible on every block.
You wouldn’t have a minute to act out before you would be whisked away and booked.
It’s going to take that kind of presence before the thugs realize they can’t come up to Pike & Pine and start beating and mugging people. C’mon Seattle it’s only two streets for sakes. Surely you can summon the polic power to do this!

Some guy
Some guy
8 years ago
Reply to  Donna Webb

I experienced something similar in downtown Portland. They blocked off the high traffic night scene at 10pm for pedestrians only. Then there were several cops keeping a watchful eye during that time.

Bill
Bill
8 years ago

Hate crime.