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Police investigate after man shot in 17th and E Mercer alley — UPDATE

At least one person was reported shot and police were searching the area after finding a blood trail and shell casings in a shooting near 17th and E Mercer early Thursday morning.

Multiple 911 callers reported around eight gunshots just before 1 AM.

Arriving officers found a male with a gunshot wound to his upper torso at a nearby building , according to East Precinct radio dispatches.

Neighbors said that police were collecting evidence in the Berneva building where the victim went after he was shot. A nearby resident posted pictures showing blood at the scene and said the shooting involved a unit subject to multiple complaints in the building managed by Capitol Hill Housing.

Police found blood on E Mercer between 16th Ave E and 17th Ave E and were searching the area for a shooter and any possible additional people hit in the exchange.

The male was reported as conscious and alert by police before he was transported to Harborview for treatment.

UPDATE 1:45 AM: SPD has posted a brief on the incident: “Officers investigating shooting in alley at 17th Ave E/E. Mercer. One man taken to HMC, non life threatening injuries. K9 track going on right now. Additional information will be posted when available.”

UPDATE 8:21 AM: Police say the 17th Ave E incident was one of two shootings in the area overnight. Around 2:30 AM, police say a man was shot in the leg near Rainier Avenue South and South Charles.

The 17th Ave E incident was the third time a person has been shot on Capitol Hill in recent weeks. A man was shot in the leg in a Melrose alley Tuesday, April 23rd. Early on April 20th, a male victim suffered a grazing wound after being shot in the head in a shootout in a Pine parking lot.

 

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Brad
Brad
4 years ago

Well, that should settle the discussion about that illegal bench!

Neighbor
Neighbor
4 years ago
Reply to  Brad

Unless the bench pulled the trigger, hard to pin blame on it. Please keep in mind that a public bench provides the elderly/disabled a place to rest, allowing them to venture further from home, thus enhancing quality of life. There used to be A LOT of drug dealing across from our home until the trees and shrubbery that were providing privacy were thinned back. Perhaps this could help in that area?

JR
JR
4 years ago

The key info missing still is if they shooter and the victim knew each other or if it was random, the later being much more concerning.

THE TRUTH
THE TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  JR

Well, some common sense and thinking here. It’s not random. I don’t know who the shooter is, but drug sales that have been happening ALL NIGHT long for FIVE YEARS coming from Capitol Hill Housing’s Berneva. See my post below.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago

Wow, people are so clueless and make so many comments they know absolutely nothing about. There’s been drugs sales going on in this ALLEY and at THIS BENCH for the LAST FIVE YEARS. Could you not put that together BRAD or are you just TRYING, and I mean failing, to be funny? The drug sellers have been coming out of Capitol Hill Housing’s Berneva apartment building which is located right in the MIDDLE of the ALLEY and the BENCH. The tenants have been reporting this to Capitol Hill Housing for FIVE YEARS to absolutely no avail. Last week the SPD was called out to the same unit in the building and the SPD told me that Capitol Hill Housing believes the site manager over the tenants and the site manager has been denying any drug sales here. The site manager has also had a guest selling drugs out of her unit as well and has told the police that drugs are not being sold here. FALSE! Maybe now Capitol Hill Housing gets it???

There were bullet casings found all up and down the alley starting at Mercer St to Republican, where the Ragley is. Tenants heard TEN gun shots, then the guy ran into the Capitol Hill Housing building, tenants said; which means this guy has a key to this building and can come back any time. There is blood all over the building, the entrances, the first floor hallway and into the drug selling unit.

I talked to tenants all night last night who are largely elderly and/or chronically ill/disabled. We are totally afraid. This might be “new” information to you keyboard comic jockeys, but it is not new to us.

And the lady that has been leading the charge on keeping that bench hasn’t believed the tenants in this building either and has turned that bench issue into a cosmetic one, when it is one of safety, lack of! She says, “I’ve never seen anything bad on that bench.” Well a drug deal happens in like 10 seconds, IF they’re good at it, which is why you keyboard comics and she hasn’t seen it; even though the people looking to buy drugs here have been wandering over into her building on a regular basis asking for directions, cigarettes, etc.

If Capitol Hill Housing keeps going the way they do, their idea of normal, with denials and ignoring tenants incident reports and believing drug selling managers, it’s just a while before a tenant at Capitol Hill Housing ends up dead! If this incident doesn’t wake Capitol Hill Housing and the community up, then I’m sorry, nothing will and there will be a lot more dangerous crime coming from here.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  the_TRUTH

I and the other tenants have send in LITERALLY 100s of incident reports to Capitol Hill Housing; as well as SPD narcotics reports; pictures; two building meetings and still we have this. I’ve told them for five years that they haven’t only been putting their tenants lives in danger, but the community as well. This shooting spanned the backyard of no less than about, what, 15 homes/buildings? Maybe 20. NEEDLESSLY!

https://capitolhillhousing.org/ourproperties/buildings/berneva.php

Alex S.
Alex S.
4 years ago
Reply to  the_TRUTH

If an innocent bystander or tenant does end up getting shot going about their day, CH Housing is going to have a massive lawsuit on their hands.

It is amazing they can be this negligent, but I suppose these are the things that happen when landlord-tenant laws are skewed towards the tenant – even when the renter is potentially a violent drug dealer who uses a public resource to commit crimes.

Rock
Rock
4 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

WTF are you talking about with “these are the things that happen when landlord-tenant laws are skewed towards the tenant”? He literally said the exact opposite in the post you’re replying: “the SPD told me that Capitol Hill Housing believes the site manager over the tenants and the site manager has been denying any drug sales here.”
“with denials and ignoring tenants incident reports and believing drug selling managers,”

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  the_TRUTH

That’s absolutely right Alex. The documentation on this unit and the site manager is beyond what one could ever even imagine as reasonable. CHH has been sued in recently and/or settled in small claims but they have NEVER been held accountable for the gross amount of negligence and incompetance virtually a dozen, plus, employees I’ve deal with over there in the last five years. Thank you to CHS Blog for saying it’s CHH and not letting it slide. That is how CHH works, they keep everything really, really quiet, encouraging tenants to call the site manager and not the police. Never telling tenants how to file a narcotics report online; report mail theft to the postal inspector; or to engage in any type of legal system process that actually prevents, catches and stops crime. Their buildings were and probably still are riddled with rats and their buildings ARE STILL RIDDLED WITH CRIME! Also, thank you to the SPD who so far in the last five years have been nothing but great. They were REALLY working their a**es off last night. Unlike the site manager, who I kid you not, CHECKED HER SNAIL MAIL AND THEN WENT BACK to bed, when I could hear and see the rest of the building up. Pathetic.

Seattlecarol
Seattlecarol
4 years ago
Reply to  the_TRUTH

There is a consistent story here regarding CHH and lack of management. They promise change, but there is little follow through. They build buildings, that’s it.

Document everything, make sure the director and board are also aware. There can’t be anymore, “I didn’t know” like with the rats at the Oleta.
We had the blood trail and mayhem at The Jefferson, but didn’t make the news because the weapon was a hammer, not a gun. The dude responsible lived here for years, but wasn’t on the lease. Even got.his mail here.
We continue to live in fear with drug dealers in the building and sketchy addicts in and out. We all hope they are indeed working on the issue as promised, but communication sucks. We just don’t know.
We too have video and pics perhaps we can show at the next fundraiser.
There is a news worthy story here. What does CHH really do? How did they fall so far off course? Why don’t they take care of the buildings or protect the tenants? Why is there no management training beyond how to process rent and paperwork to keep the federal dollars flowing in?
It wasn’t always like this. They’ve lost sight of the vision.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  Seattlecarol

And you probably filed a ton of incident reports and still no change. We have literally hundreds. Capitol Hill Housing with Chris Person’s as the head is just bad. It’s not the city, it’s not money, it’s not this and it’s not that. It’s just them. The tenants know this and have known it for years. They are a toxic, abusive, backwards, victim blaming, tax wasting nightmare. The public is just starting to find out but because they are literally getting worse, instead of better, it will just be a matter of time till people really get it. I’ve found the board to be entirely unresponsive. They board meeting is largely staff! I’ve never seen such a thing. There should have been an audit by an outside, third party organization after the rats became know. But the executive director pushed for the staff to investigate themselves with what I can see no push back from the board. With Trump trying to investigate himself, that was absurd! It should have been a neutral real estate lawyers skilled in property management and it wasn’t. I saw them outside. It was a bunch of, I’m sorry to say this, Capitol Hill Housing clown. This city is learning…the hard way!

hio
hio
4 years ago
Reply to  Seattlecarol

it is city owned property? city looking to sell that to a developer? Maybe they should contact their mayor. she has a committee that looks into housing doesn’t she? she has committees for every thing else

RWK
RWK
4 years ago
Reply to  the_TRUTH

I don’t think the bench can be blamed at all. The drug deals can go on with or without the bench. It sounds like the problem is clearly the one unit and its resident, and also the lack of action by CHH.

If I were you, and subject to this level of danger, I would just move.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  RWK

Knudson: Capitol Hill Housing is a low income housing provider, therefore, by definition, tenants can’t “just move.” Also, bullet casings were found the ENTIRE length of the 17th Ave E alley, from Republican to Mercer. Everyone in ALL of those FIFTEEN homes were/ARE STILL in danger and have been for FIVE YEARS. Should they “JUST move too????” Did you even read the article? Many of the drug dealers dealing out of this Capitol Hill Housing unit have been seen by our neighbors selling drugs and/or loaded on 15th as well. I’ve seen their typical walking routes coming up Mercer from nineteenth; all along 15th; and up and down Republican and Mercer–just as I’ve been saying. Until Capitol Hill Housing fixes this and ALL THEIR other 500 million crime problems in their buildings, everyone in the 15th Ave E vicinity is in danger. And I’ve ALWAYS said this in 100+++ reports to CHH. It’s not “JUST” THIS BUILDING.

@Gary F, “It takes courage to be a Change Leader,” –Yes, it does and that’s what I’m trying to do. My life depends on it!

@Sloopy: “Too bad to hear about CHH. This kind of thing is why in many other cities people don’t want affordable housing built near them.” –That’s EXACTLY right. 80% of this building is fantastic. Another 10% isn’t great, but not dangerous and then 10% is REALLY dangerous and Capitol Hill Housing, despite a million and a half incident reports, treat the dangerous tenants like they are not. In fact, some of the area’s most civic minded residents come from this building. There’s me; another woman whose lived on 15th 30 years; and another who was born and raised on a house down the block. Most of us have very strong ties to the community in multiple ways and work very hard to keep our neighborhood clean and safe. Capitol Hill Housing basically abuses and invalidates us and let’s drug dealers run the building. Capitol Hill Housing is destroying affordable housing in this city one issue at a time. Including that ignorant/staff enmeshed board.

@Rock “WTF are you talking about with “these are the things that happen when landlord-tenant laws are skewed towards the tenant”? He literally said the exact opposite in the post you’re replying: “the SPD told me that Capitol Hill Housing believes the site manager over the tenants and the site manager has been denying any drug sales here.”
–EXACTLY RIGHT!

The biggest thing is I don’t trust Capitol Hill Housing to do the right thing, or the city, or anything that has created this mess. This mess didn’t happen in a vacuum MULTIPLE PLAYERS HAVE BEEN FAILING over a VERY long period of time.

Basically, I’m really afraid and feel VERY let down by a city that I USED to REALLY love and believe in.

Sloopy
Sloopy
4 years ago
Reply to  the_TRUTH

Too bad to hear about CHH. This kind of thing is why in many other cities people don’t want affordable housing built near them. Seattle traditionally has had very nice affordable housing that isn’t crime ridden. I hope this isn’t changing. CHH should get it together.

Alex S.
Alex S.
4 years ago

So long as “no snitch” is an integral part of gang culture, the cycle of violence and gun violence will continue.

“Stop the Violence” and “end gun violence” are nice slogans; and actually stopping the violence is quite possible – but the problem is, nobody really seems to want to stop it.

These folks choose violence, drugs & guns every single day until they go to jail or die.

Rock
Rock
4 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

So long as “no snitching (on fellow pigs)”, shoot first, ask questions later” and “charge first, worry about civil rights later” are an integral part of police culture, the cycle of violence and gun violence will continue.

“Stop the Violence” and “end gun violence” are nice slogans; and actually stopping the violence is quite possible – but the problem is, cops really don’t want to stop it.

These pigs choose violence, racism, and corruption every single day until they get put on desk duty or fired.

to u
to u
4 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

yea, that city hall gang is the worse! those white collar big money gangsters are the hardest to beat.

Gary F
Gary F
4 years ago

Sadly, this is the new normal in this city. It takes courage to be a Change Leader… and this current Mayor and Council doesn’t have what it takes. The police are handcuffed, the media backs the homeless advocacy and we all are led to believe we just need more affordable housing- for drug dealers/users. Very frustrated.

JR
JR
4 years ago
Reply to  Gary F

I guess there’s a new meaning to Cap hill.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago

I can’t believe it, but there’s only one player in this city that I do not feel let down by and that is the SPD. I know there have been issues of police brutality but after five years of watching them work in this building with people from many different backgrounds I have seen them treat everyone fairly and work REALLY hard to make the community safe. I agree that the city has tied the police hands when it comes to “small” crimes like car break-ins etc. But they do not roll over on serious violence. These police were all over this building and are still here. There was some very serious detective work going on. This building looked like the scene in ET where the FBI, CIA and government officials take over, but without the plastic. They were walking the halls. There were plain clothes police, uniformed, working their azzes off to keep us safe. Capitol Hill Housing and the city council and their mind-meld, convoluted, toxic and backwards thinking would just walk over all the tenants dead bodies, but not the SPD. I have a lot of respect now for our police. I’ve seen it in action. They deserve it!

Tito Titus
4 years ago

I’m 76 years old. My wife and I have used this bench regularly for the past six years. We’ve never seen any drug dealers or druggies or evidence of drug dealing in it’s vicinity. Not ever. Not once. It’s a blessing to us and to the neighborhood. The idea that it promotes drug dealing is preposterous. We’ve met some delightful people while sitting on this bench. It promotes a sense of community and gives old folks like us a place to sit.

There were shootings all over the city last week. None of them were related to this bench. Removing one simple bench will not do anything to reduce the crime rate in the City. To suggest otherwise is just silly.
Last year a man went berserk and tore apart a door in our building with a hammer, crowbar, and ramming rod. That wasn’t related to the bench either.

My wife has rheumatoid arthritis and sciatic. This bench comes in handy.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  Tito Titus

Well good for you. I’ve told you what happens there. Keep sitting on it!

JSeven
JSeven
4 years ago

The bench is not the problem. Sure, suspicious activity happens at the bench. It also happens in the alley, on the sidewalk, inside parked cars and within buildings. Should we blame sidewalks, alleys, cars and buildings too? Or should we do the altogether practical thing and focus on getting the appropriate information to the right people so more resources can be allocated to the problem: criminal activity linked to the Berneva and, by association, Capitol Hill Housing.

I strongly urge any neighbours to take a few minutes out of their day and file a formal complaint against Capitol Hill Housing. The tenants of this building are your neighbours, not your enemies. It’s a hard truth that those residing at the Berneva have struggled continuously to have their voices heard with very little result and that the most recent incident could have been avoided.

We need to help each other. There needs to be more voices. And not in this site bickering. Call people. Write letters. Document everything. And stop attacking the fucking bench.

Tito Titus
4 years ago
Reply to  JSeven

Thank you!

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  Tito Titus

@Tito, I love how your only, or MAIN, concern is keeping a bench after the first act of serious gun violence that I’ve ever heard of in this neighborhood happened immediately affecting no less than 3-4 blocks in this area and that the drug sales are still happening and that the assailants live in the neighborhood. I talked to the police today. They told me they believe it is not random and that a bench can be put back with a permit when/IF this ever passes. Are you sure the importance of this bench isn’t really more about a personality in the neighborhood? Because whatever it is about, doesn’t really seem to be on any sense of safety for anyone but the importance of you and your “wife” sitting on the bench. Seems kind of short sighted to me.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  JSeven

“Focus on getting the appropriate information to the right people so more resources can be allocated to the problem: criminal activity linked to the Berneva and, by association, Capitol Hill Housing.

I strongly urge any neighbours to take a few minutes out of their day and file a formal complaint against Capitol Hill Housing.”

–Well, I can get behind this! Look I’ve loved that bench and the community it creates as well but not at the cost of human life!

I’ve always said in my reports that the entire community is in danger. Not just the Capitol Hill Housing building. The drugs from the unit are being sold on the streets surrounding 15th-19th and vicinity and it’s not stopping.

There’s been a ton of activity out of this unit the last few days. Nothing has stopped and it isn’t going to stop and Capitol Hill Housing isn’t going to stop it. Especially with the manager lying to police and Capitol Hill Housing believing this manager for YEARS over the tenants. The manager is now standing on a blood filled carpet, telling tenants that the drug unit tenant was “just trying to help a friend!” Insanity!

Send letters, calls, emails, etc. to:

Capitol Hill Housing
Chris Persons and Terra Walsch
[email protected]
[email protected]
1620 12th Avenue, Suite 205
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-329-7303
Fax: 206-329-1857

Tito Titus
4 years ago

From the above posted Capitol Hill Blog:

Neighbors said that police were collecting evidence in the Berneva building where the victim went after he was shot. … A nearby resident said the shooting involved a unit subject to multiple complaints in the building managed by Capitol Hill Housing.

So then, the shooting involved a known problem unit in the Berneva, not a bench.

Let’s keep the bench.

the_TRUTH
the_TRUTH
4 years ago
Reply to  Tito Titus

@Tito, I’ve got some news for you: the night of the shooting, the SPD had their German Shepard Dogs out here on the trail for the shooter. Guess where those dogs were circling? THAT BENCH. Yesterday, I reported THREE drug sales at that bench, at least two of them happening right in front of the two elderly women that are out there most often. I’m sorry, but you seem to be one cold hearted, kind of selfish individual. There’s blood all over the building next door and you’re still only focused on yourself. As if you know for certain you won’t be the person shot the next time it happens and with everything I’m still seeing happen, there WILL be a next time.