See something others should know about? Email CHS or call/txt (206) 399-5959. You can view recent CHS Crime coverage here.

• QFC melee: The Broadway Market QFC has been the scene for several brazen, sometimes violent shoplifting incidents this summer — an August 12th melee in which a suspect accused of trying to steal a bottle of champagne was pepper sprayed by a store employee may have been the unfortunate peak. Police were called to the store in the 400 block of Broadway E around 11 PM Other witnesses corroborated the employee’s account, according to SPD’s report. A person who captured the scene on camera also showed an image to the responding officer clearly showing the suspect holding the bottle. According to report, the suspect was placed under arrest, taken to East Precinct, and allowed to wash out his eyes from the pepper spray attack. He was booked into jail for investigation of harassment.
• Pratt Park jitters: With attention on recent gun and gang violence around the East Precinct and near-nightly reports of gunfire in the area, a large group in a Central District park brought out Seattle Police Tuesday afternoon. According to East Precinct radio dispatches, an officer reported a group of 30 to 40 people gathering in Pratt Park around 4 PM. After a call went out for gang units to respond the area, the situation was quickly cleared up after police found out the crowd as actually part of a rap video being filmed in the park.
• Wanted — the Ballou Wright burglaries: Police are looking for the burglar in a string of break-ins at the offices inside the Ballou Wright building in the 1500 block of 12th Ave. On the 13th, the office of creative agency Creature was hit with a break-in that netted a laptop. Security images revealed a suspect described as “a white male, wearing a black baseball hat, black jacket, brown pants, and black backpack.” Another business in the building reported that an employee’s $1,000 Bianchi bicycle had also been stolen while a third business rep reported “about $100 in quarters” and “a black backpack containing his keys and personal journal (undetermined value) were missing.” One of the businesses hit in the break-in had also suffered a burglary three days earlier as a thief made off with computer and electronics gear. Before that, a burglar made off with “five Jabra evolve headphones (330.00) and an Ipad Mini (399.00)” in a burglary in the building believed to have happened on August 6th.
• E Pike gun threat: A male suspect wanted on a warrant was picked up by police early Saturday, August 8th after allegedly threatening security with a gun at a club in the 900 block of E Pike:
  According to the report, police discovered the suspect had an outstanding warrant. He was arrested and booked for investigation of harassment. 14 officers arrived as back-up during the initial weapons call.
• E Pine stabbing: There were no arrests in a fight and stabbing involving “multiple women” in the 300 block of E Pine.The female victim refused to be taken to the hospital and would not tell police what happened in the 2:45 AM Sunday, August 3rd incident:
  
• Boylston alley robbery: A man reported he was robbed in a Boylston Ave alley just after midnight on Wednesday, August 12th by a man he befriended and was headed back to his apartment to drink beer with:Police say there were no witnesses to the beating. There was no immediate arrest reported.
• Police were called to the 100 block of 21st Ave E around 10 AM on Friday, August 7th to a report of a man with a gun on a balcony:
  There were no arrests.
• PlayStation beating: A Broadway shopkeep reported he was punched in the face by a man trying to sell a PlayStation game system who was, to say the least, reluctant to have the game system tested before the purchase:There were no arrests in the late July incident. Seattle Fire treated the victim at the scene.
• Long wavy dark wet hair burglar: A man working in his home office in the 1100 block of E Thomas called police just before noon on Thursday, August 13th to report “an unknown W/F in her late teens early 20’s with long..”
  Police searched the area but were unable to locate anybody matching the suspect description.
• Wine and gum robbery: She might have gotten away with it if not for the pack of gum. A female shoplifting suspect was busted for investigation of strong arm robbery after struggling and kicking an employee at the 15th and John Safeway just after midnight on August 14th. According to the report on the incident, the suspect was spotted trying to steal a pack of gum from near the register. After kicking the employee as she was detained, the suspect’s other allegedly pilfered booty slipped from her pants as a bottle of wine fell from her pocket. Both the gum and the wine were recovered. The store put the value of the items at $8. Meanwhile, at the same store the following Friday around 3:20 PM, police were called after a keen-eared employee heard a woman in the grocery say, “What do you want to take today?” —
  The suspects were able to flee and avoid arrest.
• Jeep crash: A jeep ended up on its side but there were no serious injuries in a morning commute collision at 15th and Madison Tuesday around 7 AM. Arriving Seattle Fire units reported that the driver of the jeep was able to exit the crashed jeep without assistance. The crash snarled traffic for a short time in the area.
• UPDATE — Police looking for man who set fires: Here’s a note from a CHS reader about a person SPD is trying to locate before a more serious crime occurs. We’ve verified the details of the account with SPD:

  The week of 8/19-8/26 on the 200 block of 13th Ave E. a man fitting the following description three times attempted to set fires on my porch.
  
  Description:
  
  White Male
  BIG BLACK TATTOO over one eye, from forehead to cheek.  It seems like it's a thick vertical line.
  Brown curly hair, thinning on top and about shoulder length
  35-42 years old
  6' - 6'2 tall
  Heavy set
  He has some facial hair, but not a big bushy beard.
  
  He is a big guy.
  He is not new in the neighborhood, I have seen him digging through dumpsters many times before. The tattoo and the fire-setting are new.
  He always wears all black. Last seen wearing a black trench coat over a dark sweatshirt and several other dark layers of clothes.
  Shoes are noticeably in tatters.  Also black.
  He sometimes wears a dark hat with earflaps, though he wasn't two days ago when he last attempted to set a fire.
  
  If you see a man fitting this description, please call 911 and tell them you see a suspected arsonist. You can reference police report #2015-295908 for the arson.
  If you are a social worker and know this man - he needs help. He's off his meds or in some kind of crisis that has resulted in a big new face tattoo and fire setting. That is dangerous to all of us and dangerous to him.