Post navigation

Prev: (05/25/19) | Next: (05/26/19)

Capitol Hill pot shop hit — again — in reported overnight robbery

Police and the Sheriff’s Guardian One helicopter searched northern Capitol Hill overnight after a suspect reportedly held up the Ruckus Recreational pot shop just off 15th Ave E.

Friday night, police rushed to the Ruckus shop just after 11:30 PM and surrounded the shop while waiting to make contact with an employee waiting inside. According to East Precinct radio reports, police began searching the surrounding area with a K9 dog unit but did not immediately track down a suspect. Police were also looking for a vehicle seen leaving the area as officers arrived.

 

BECOME A CHS SUBSCRIBER
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. Become a subscriber at $1/$5/$10 a month.

 

 

 

The heist was the second time the E Republican retail cannabis store across from Uncle Ike’s has been robbed in six months following an armed hold-up in October that netted its perpetrator some $5,000 in cash. In that robbery, a suspect entered the shop around 10:30 PM, rushed the rear counter, and pointed a gun at two store employees working that Monday night before Halloween

The October hold-up was the first robbery CHS is aware of at a Capitol Hill legal pot shop.

While Washington has legalized the pot industry, the retail business remains cash focused due to legal concerns over federal restrictions on banking and credit. Some Seattle retailers have experimented with payment solutions like cryptocurrency but, for now, most continue to rely on cash-only transactions.

We don’t have many details on the circumstances of the latest robbery and no suspect description was available. There were no reported injuries.

Uncle Ike’s and Ruckus are recent CHS advertisers.

Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

22 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
AB
AB
4 years ago

2 cop cars with their lights flashing were parked on 13th between Republican and Mercer for about 45 mins.

AB
AB
4 years ago
Reply to  AB

I’m pro MJ legalization, but am so sick of the peripheral BS that comes with these shops: open drug use, loitering, non-MJ drug dealing, MJ sales to minors…now armed robberies.
And so much it done so boldly.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
4 years ago
Reply to  AB

When was the last time there was weed sale to minors? I must’ve missed it.

Word on the street
Word on the street
4 years ago
Reply to  AB

I am told the minors pay loiterers to buy them weed. It happens frequently.

Ian
Ian
4 years ago
Reply to  AB

If you ever gear of this happening at Ike’s please let me know Ian at Ikes dot com. We monitor this extremely closely and have extra personnel to prevent this from occurring. Thx.

Celeste
Celeste
4 years ago

RIP 15th. 1999-2018 15th was my fave neighborhood. Uncle Ike’s is a total eye sore. Who would have thought that weed could bring so many bad vibes.

Zaza
Zaza
4 years ago
Reply to  Celeste

I wasn’t aware 15th didn’t exist prior to 1999. I wonder what street I actually frequented back then.

Sam
Sam
4 years ago
Reply to  Zaza

1999 isn’t 15th’s date of birth. It’s the fave dates.

PD
PD
4 years ago
Reply to  Celeste

This used to be my favorite part of the hill: close to everything, but with its own vibe and much more laid back.

Also, residential but without the plague of young parents–esp. mommies with their strollers–that you see elsewhere.

So nice!

But today…the East 15th neighborhood is looking more and more like the rest of the Hill: far too much trouble for what it’s worth.

Why do you hate mothers with children?
Reply to  PD

My God, Why do you hate mothers with children?

RWK
RWK
4 years ago
Reply to  PD

I think “mommies with strollers” add a nice, pleasant vibe to any area. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere that had just one type of human.

Are you against apple pie too?

25+ in the CD
25+ in the CD
4 years ago
Reply to  PD

That’s the way it was, and we liked it! Whaaaaa! And, I don’t like the look of those good for nothing kids and their hippidy hop clothes when they play that devil music . I’m old and hate change.

kasa
kasa
4 years ago

Ruckus I love you but they need to stop understaffing the shop! There was one kid behind the counter and a door guy, you know full well folks are casing the joint waiting for nights like this.

And it’s not a “there goes the neighborhood” thing, is a natural result of federal laws, since they have to operate solely in cash. Shit would happen in any neighborhood. I don’t completely understand why Ruckus keeps getting hit instead of Ike’s, however.

Chris
Chris
4 years ago
Reply to  kasa

Ikes has cameras everywhere. It is well lit. They discourage loitering outside their store. Ruckus understaffs, is very dark from the outside and does nothing to help keep the neighborhood safe. Ruckus is a problem. Ikes is simply a better run, safer business.

PD
PD
4 years ago
Reply to  Chris

Totally agreed. It’s also likely a location thing: Ruckus is on a side street, which makes it more of a target.

But why is there a need for two pot shops in the East 15th neighborhood????

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
4 years ago
Reply to  kasa

It’s likely a product of the limited area that the shops can operate in – there simply isn’t a ton of available real estate that isn’t close to one of the no-no spots. 1000 feet from any elementary or secondary school, playground, recreation center or facility, child care center, public park, public transit center, library, or game arcade that allows minors to enter

Sam
Sam
4 years ago

I’m never shopping at Ruckus again. It’s unsafe. Screw them for being so greedy as to not hire more staff and security and leaving their poor employees vulnerable.

Moving On
Moving On
4 years ago

Ruckus is a nuisance business that has had extremely negative impacts on the surrounding area. There are tons of problems, and they just ignore them. To their detriment and everyone else’s. Say what you want about Ike’s, but they are engaged and actively trying to make that location work for everyone. They have proper lighting, cameras, adequate staffing, consistent attention to the public environment. Ruckus has none of that. I hope their license gets pulled.

yoururbanbanana
yoururbanbanana
4 years ago

There are a lot of false memories here about what 15th used to be like before pot shops showed up.

BW
BW
4 years ago

Somehow whenever Ike’s is brought up, even just on a tangent, Ian is right there in the comments. Then what follows are a bunch ‘other’ comments that read like a commercial for Ike’s. They have a history of sleazy business practices on this street, starting with the stupid arcade just to try and stop ruckus from opening first. I’m sorry this happened to Ruckus.

Chris
Chris
4 years ago
Reply to  BW

Praise Jesus… conspiracy theorists such as yourself will save us all!

I don’t work for Ikes. I don’t know Ike, but I do shop there and Ruckus’s complete lack of care for my neighborhood is why.

S
S
4 years ago
Reply to  BW

I agree. Given their shady history with Ruckus, some comments (especially with Ian here) are a touch eyebrow-raising, imo.