Capitol Hill Seattle has been alerted to an apparent shooting near the intersection of Union and Boylston. At 5:55 PM, emergency units were dispatched to 702 E Union St. for an assault with weapons response.
We received the following e-mail from an eyewitness:
Shooting on Union between Boylston and Harvard. One guy shot, was conscious and speaking when police arrived.
6:48PM
-
-
Shooting reported at Union and Boylston
-
A stretch of Union is cordoned off tonight as police investigate an apparent shooting in a parking lot next to an apartment building at the corner of Union and Boylston.
7:12PM
-
-
Wrist Watch
-
A man at the scene who said he was the person to call 911 said the victim told him the shooter wanted his wrist watch. The man told CHS the victim was shot in the upper chest. The victim told the man that the shooter was a white male driving a black Mercedes Benz.
7:14PM
-
-
Drive by
-
Another witness at the scene said an officer told her the incident was a 'drive by' shooting and that police were looking for a Mercedes Benz that may be involved.
12:43a No word on injuries but report of assault with weapons tonight at 1325 E Madison tonight just before 12:30a. Got scanner report that officer believes he has the shooter in custody but that the weapon was taken from the scene by another suspect.
UPDATE 1:04a Slog reports three people taken to Harborview.
UPDATE: 5:15a I still don't have official word on any of the victims. Slog says at least one had died.
UPDATE: 6:33a Heard KOMO AM report on the story. They are also reporting 1 dead, two injured. BTW, Baltic Room shooting just under 1 year ago, Jan. 26, 2008.
Homicide, shooting in Central District On January 4th at 12:27 a.m. officers responded to 911 calls of shots fired at a nightclub in the 1300 block of East Madison Street. Officers arrived on scene in under a minute and discovered three gunshot victims, all males apparently in their 20’s. SFD Medics were summoned immediately and subsequently transported all three victims to...
SPD is using its fancy new blog to tout the collar of a 'prolific' tagger allegedly responsible for graffiti on "multiple buildings, including several car dealerships, and several businesses in the areas of 700 East Pike, 700 East Pine and 900 East Pike street."
Report sez the 20-year-old suspect was out to mark the recent death of Bay Area graffiti legend Kerse BTM and was caught in the act early Sunday morning. Hopefully they don't try to nail the kid for all the Kerse-work they find out there on the streets because this gentleman has company.
Will give SPD a call to see what else I can find out.
UPDATE: SPD confirmed that the suspected tagger is being charged with a felony level count of malicious mischief. From my understanding, if there was less than $1,500 damage, maximum sentence would be around 5 years. You can read more about the charge on the Avvo legal site. Also, no specific location of where he was apprehended.
A woman sustained cuts to her wrist when she was robbed at knifepoint in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood early Wednesday morning.
Police said a 20-year-old woman was robbed at 10th Avenue East and East Highland Drive just after 2 a.m.
UPDATE 8:07 AM: CHS found this eyewitness account posted to Facebook:
... after getting halfway down the stairs, then running back inside for my cell phone, I made it outside and saw a woman bent over at the corner, holding her arm out and crying. I ran down the block and got there just as a few other guys came up. One dude had almost witnessed the attack and had ran inside to grab something to put over the gash in the woman's wrist. He ended up grabbing a grey pair of underwear. At least they came from a freshly laundered pile of clothes. I used it to hold the bloody cell phone she handed me, so I could call her friends. One after another, her friends weren't there.
She wasn't going to die from that cut, but there was blood spattered all over, a knife laying a few feet away and the cut wasn't helping her keep her composure any. Overall I think she was handling herself pretty damn well.
The police pulled up almost right after I got there. Nice dude. Calm. Not the hyped up, yelling type.
Poor girl had almost made it home when the guy following her had attacked. She held onto her purse as long as possible, because it had her green card and other necessary documents. She was from Britain and was supposed to fly back on Monday for a wedding.
UPDATE 8:17 AM: Here's the report from the Seattle Police Department. We'll talk with them to see if we can get any more information and updates later this morning.
On 7/8/09, at approximately 2:18 a.m., an officer was driving northbound on 10 Av E., when he was flagged down by the victim. The victim was screaming and pointing at the suspect who was running east on E. Highland Dr. The officer followed the suspect and engaged in a foot pursuit. According to the victim, the suspect confronted her and demanded her property at 10 Av E. and E. Hightland Dr. The suspect pulled a knife and cut the victim’s purse straps. A struggle ensued and the victim fell to the ground at which point the suspect cut her once on the wrist. When the suspect saw the police car, he fled on foot. A K-9 unit attempted a track but did not locate the suspect. All of the victim’s property was located and returned to her. The victim sustained a minor cut to her right wrist and slight bruising to her head. She was treated on scene by Seattle Fire Personnel and transported to an area hospital as a precaution. The suspect is described as a black male, 6′ tall, short hair, wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants.
Two accounts on CHS of a police chase near 10th Ave early this morning.
My neighbor was awaked by helicopters overhead for 1/2 hour, police cruising down our street (10th Ave E, near Brix) multiple times (no siren), and she's sure she saw a cop with a police dog walk down the street. She was scared and called the police, they would only tell her that they were chasing a robber. Anyone else have any info?
Hia, So I woke up at 3am this morning(July 8th) to some helicopter/large planes practically dive bombing my apartment for like 20 minutes. It got to the point where I thought they might be trying to land on Broadway or Volunteer park.... I'm on Broadway & Aloha. I looked on the news and couldn't find any escaped convicts/ crazy traffic reports or similar explanations for the wierdness.
Does anyone know what the deal was? Or did they hear it too?
It's a rare day that goes by without a shoplifting report at 523 Broadway E. Here are the latest Central District News Scanner reports for the area. This week, Seattle Weekly adds another report to the pile from way back in January. But this one comes from a source other than the police scanner or the media reports I dig through to learn about arrests and crime on the Hill.
Here's what the Weekly reported:
Everyone has the occasional trouble with the law and the cross-town rival news editor (and former SW writer), Erica C. Barnett, had her own run-in earlier this year. According to a police spokesperson, the SPD received a shoplifting call from the northern Broadway QFC on Jan. 28 at 6:50 p.m. Barnett is accused of attempting to steal an $8.99 bottle of wine. The spokesperson says SPD records indicate she wasn't arrested at the scene, but the city attorney's office did file a misdemeanor theft charge in Seattle Municipal Court. Barnett is scheduled for a hearing March 17. She declined to comment.
Given the way this kind of information is gathered, it's likely that the Weekly reporter got a tip on this -- either that, or she monitors the hundreds of muni court filings that go through Seattle each week. There's no (ethical) way to have figured out it was Barnett from the redacted media reports that SPD provides so the only way to get a name is to get the court documents involved with the case. Also note the clever turns of phrase in the write-up -- SPD won't confirm names and the media report they provide is redacted so the SW write-up uses the pronoun 'she' when talking about the incident (I initially referred to the incident as an 'arrest' when this was first posted but the Weekly notes there was no arrest at the scene). The Weekly reporter is putting two and two together just like any other crime story. But, in this case, seems like she had a good deal of help to get the ball rolling. We'll see. I have a question out to ask about the reporting.
In the meantime, Barnett joins the long line of QFC accused. She won't be the first reporter accused of having sticky fingers on Capitol Hill.
More info about the building. It's owned and managed by Capitol Hill developer Anne Michelson. She is also developing the 1111 E. Pike project up the street. Businesses in the location include the Wild Rose, Houthouse Spa & Sauna and the apartment units above.
UPDATE - 8:57 AM: CHS spoke with SPD's head of media relations Sgt. Sean Whitcomb who said he could not clarify the nature of the search warrant or the arrests as the situation is part of an "ongoing investigation" and detectives are still processing evidence collected during the raid. If we don't learn more in the meantime, some light will be revealed when the affidavit required for the department to get the search warrant comes through the county court system in the next few days.
Original Report - 8:37 AM: Seattle Times seems to be hot on the tracks of vice squad raids as they happen these days. They've got the scoop on a big bust that went down on Pike last night:...
Here's a later than normal look at last week's cops and robbers action on Capitol Hill. Per usual, reports are compiled from Central District News scanner reports, SPD media reports and good old-fashioned CHS reporting. Got a tip or a question about something you witnessed? Fire away.
Tuesday 3/17/09 Nothing happened today, unless you count...
Wednesday 3/18/09 CHS Report: 2:00AM - 1700 block Harvard Ave E - Bomb scare - A suspicious item shut down the blocks around Seattle Central while bomb squads investigated in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The item was later determined to be a vandalized utility box. CHS coverage.
CHS Report: 10:52PM - 1500 block E. Madison - Pornography/Obscene Material - Two officers on foot patrol provided the following report regarding pornographic images they witnessed on display through windows...
Somebody is threatening Capitol Hill gay bars with attacks using the deadly poison ricin. The Stanger reports that it and 11 gay bars received threatening letters today describing how the attacks would unfold. Here is the letter received by Re-Bar that appeared on the Slog:
The letter writer named Elite, Neighbours, Wild Rose, the Cuff, Purr, the Eagle, R Place, Re-bar, CC's, Madison Pub, and the Crescent in the letter sent to The Stranger. The writer, it seems, knows his or her gay bars including the top 5. Some talk of bar crawls this weekend in defiance of the threats. Going out?
The passive aggressive note left on your vehicle to inform you of the crime against humanity you have committed is a rite of urban passage. In small towns, they bake you cookies, knock on your door and ask you nicely to move your International Harvester off their lawn. On Capitol Hill, they leave a mean note. Sometime this works for tagging, also.
But in this incident culled from the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct reports from last week, one such note went far beyond mean.
Victim came to the East Precinct on 2-24-09 at 0930 to report that an unknown person left a threatening note pinned to the seat of his XXXX Vespa Gran Tourismo scooter. Victim had parked his scooter on the street, in the XXX block of XXXX on 2-23-09 at approx. 2100 hrs, when he returned to it on 2-24-09 at 0900, he found the note which said "You greener-than-thou sanctimonious retard: Take up an entire car-sized parking space with this scooter again and you'll be shopping for a new tire ... " Victim said that this is the second...
Attached to this post is a PDF file of the 'probable cause' document federal prosecutors filed in U.S. District Court against five men they say were involved in a gambling, cocaine and methamphetamine distribution operation with an outlet and speakeasy on Capitol Hill at E. Pike and 11th.
Richard W. Wilson, Marshall Reinsch and three Honduran men, Carlos Zavala-Bustillo, Cesar Canterero-Arteaga and Edwan Fletes, face several counts of weapon and drug charges. According to the document, Wilson allegedly operated the speakeasy "The Yard" in the building at 11th and E. Pike.
All men were charged with violations of drug laws -- you can read more about Title 21, Section 841 here -- while Wilson faces additional gun charges related to carrying a firearm while involved with drug crimes.
UPDATE: 1:01 PM A SPD spokesperson tells me that the case is not currently being investigated as a hate crime and that he was unaware of anybody having yet contacted the department to report such an incident. Should the victim or a witness come forward, the spokeperson said the SPD is ready to further investigate the incident.
According to the SPD report, around 1:51 AM last Friday morning, an officer responded to a disturbance outside an event at the Fremont Film warehouse on N 35th. That night, the warehouse hosted...
UPDATE 2:12 PM: The woman attacked in an alley near 17th and Howell around 3:30 AM had given her assailant a ride to the location, Seattle Police Department spokesperson Sean Whitcomb tells CHS. The 24-year-old woman suffered minor injuries in the assault. Whitcomb said it does not appear the man was armed. Whitcomb said the suspect managed to elude the subsequent helicopter and K-9 unit search. The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s, approximately 5' 8" and wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans and a black beanie at the time of the assault.
UPDATE 1:25 PM: CHS just talked with area resident Nathan Williams who e-mailed us this explanation for the helicopter search. We'll follow up with SPD to see what else we can learn. Here's Nathan's mail:
I was awakened this morning at 3:30am or so by a woman screaming "help" (alley between 17th, 18th, denny, and howell). I dressed quickly and found her sitting on the ground. She had been beaten pretty badly and said a man had tried to rape and kill her. I asked her if the man was still around, but she said he had driven off. She had already called the police by this point and soon an ambulance came down Denny which I flagged down.
They started treating her and I went back inside. Soon after cops started arriving and searched the area pretty exhaustively (at least 6 cops, a dog) and the helicopter started circling around that time. I'm guessing it was a police helicopter looking for her assailant, though if he actually drove off I can't imagine it would have done much good. They roped off the area around her car with police tape but it was gone (as was the car) by the time I was up again at 8am.
The woman was in rough shape but none of her injuries seemed life-threatening. I hope she's doing alright.
Here's the picture of the alley where SPD was investigating that Phil links to in the comments on this post.
Original Report: Back on the CHS mystery helicopter beat. A flurry of reports of a late-night copter buzzing the Hill early this A.M. Looking into the why of it. Know anything? chs@capitolhillseattle.com
any idea why there was a helicopter hovering over my bedroom (16th & e olive st) last night at 3:52am? it was terrifying. i thought we might be under attack, but i guess not. i didn't see anything in the incident log, either. eventually, it circled a little until about 4:03am, when it left the area. i never heard any sirens (thank goodness) so i guess they didn't find the person/people for whom they were searching...
just curious (and sleepy.)
thanks,
alison
Thanks for the tip, neighbor Alison. Here are a few more Hill reports of the buzz:
x03: Awake thanks to the Capitol Hill stealth helicopter special 4am edition. Internet proves useless in helping me get back to sleep...
RobLaGatta: Anyone know what's up with this helicopter hovering like 20 feet above Capitol Hill with no lights on at 4 in the morning? Weak.
We'll check in with SPD and other powers that be to see what we can find out. A man was shot and killed around this time in the Mt. Baker area -- a subsequent search by helicopter could be an explanation.
A procession of Seattle Police Department cruisers accompanied the ambulance carrying the body of 39-year-old Tim Brenton, the officer killed in last night's Central District shooting, as the vehicle made its way from Harborview to the Bonney Watson Funeral home on Broadway this afternoon.
An officer stands guard outside Bonney Watson (Photo by: Scott Durham/Central District News)
Central District News covered this afternoon's press conference where police and city officials discussed details of the Halloween murder and the bravery of police trainee Brit Sweeney, who survived the attack that took the life of her mentor:
Interim Chief John Diaz at today's briefing
A press conference with the mayor and Seattle police commanders just concluded, identifying the deceased victim as 39 year old Timothy Brenton, a Police Training Officer and member of the Seattle police force for 8 years. He leaves behind a wife and two children, 8 and 11 years old. He has worked his entire SPD career here in the East Precinct.
Police are working with the family to schedule a memorial service and funeral for Officer Brenton, but no date is available yet. Police work ran strong in Brenton's family. His father and uncle are also retired members of the Seattle Police force.
The second victim, 33 year old police trainee Britt Sweeney, was grazed in the shooting and is now resting at her home. Assistant Chief Pugel said "it was a miracle that she survived" the incident. Only six to seven months out of the academy, her performance during the shooting was described as that of "a tenured veteran," as she "not only called for help and backup, called for the fire department, but also got out and fired at the suspects."
Police undertook a massive manhunt Halloween eve searching for the suspect vehicle, described as a small gray or light colored car. Investigators are now reviewing video footage from multiple on-board police cameras. There is no suspect description at this time. A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer.
Mayor Greg Nickels announced that flags on city property will be flown at half-staff to honor Brenton. A memorial has formed at the shooting scene where people have been been leaving flowers.
It is with profound sadness that we must inform you that a Seattle Police Officer was killed in the line of duty last night. Officer Timothy Brenton, a Field Training Officer assigned to Third Watch, East Precinct, was shot to death while he and Student Officer Britt Sweeney, were parked in their patrol car in the 100 Block of 29th Avenue last night shortly after 10:00 p.m. The investigation thus far has shown that Officers Brenton and Sweeney had just completed a traffic stop and were discussing the stop as part of Officer Sweeney’s training. Their patrol car was parked facing southbound in the 100 Block of 29th Avenue on the west side of the street. Officer Sweeney was in the driver’s seat; Officer Brenton was in the front passenger seat. As they were discussing training, a vehicle, described as a light-colored small car, also travelling southbound, pulled up next to the patrol vehicle. The suspect(s) opened fire upon the officers. The bullets went by Officer Sweeney’s head, grazing her in the back of the neck and tearing her uniform shirt and vest. Bullets struck Officer Brenton in the head, killing him. The suspect vehicle then fled northbound on 29th Avenue. Officer Sweeney was able to exit the patrol car and return fire at the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle may have been struck. Officer Sweeney was able to get on the air and summon additional officers to the scene. Officer Sweeney’s performance was exemplary under the most stressful and horrific call imaginable.
There was a massive response from all points of the city and beyond. Patrol, detectives, and the Hospital Response Team all responded and provided support for officers and the families. Information is being developed as to possible suspect(s). SPD Homicide detectives are responsible for this investigation.
There is no other way to describe what occurred last night to Officers Brenton and Sweeney other than this was a deliberate act of murder. We have all the resources of the Department working on this investigation, and will not stop until we have those responsible answer for this heinous crime. We owe it to Officers Brenton and Sweeney, their families, ourselves and the community.
Officer Brenton was 39 years old and a 9-year veteran of the Department at the time of his death. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Officer Sweeney is 33 years old and a recent graduate of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center.
Funeral arrangements are being planned and more information will be forthcoming.
This is a profound tragedy and shock to our senses. We will take the time to grieve, reflect, and honor our fallen brother. The Department’s Crisis Incident Stress Management Team will be available for all those who request it.
The Department has set up a tip line for the public to provide information that may assist the investigation. That number is (206) 233-5000.
A bank account for Officer Timothy Brenton’s family is being set up at this time. We will provide more information when the details become available.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call either 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Unit at 206 684-5550, or the tipline at (206) 233-5000. Those wishing to remain annonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a text to CRIMES (274637). Your text message should include “TIP486″ to ensure proper routing. If a tip leads to an arrest and the filing of charges, callers may qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000. An additional $20,000 reward is being offered by the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild, for a total of $21,000. Calls are taken 24 hours a day.
While some complain that Starbucks is stealing the look and feel of indie businesses on 15th Ave, one woman recently turned the table on the coffee giant by making off with a few hundred dollars of Starbucks drinks and pastries over a two-month period until she was caught and fired two weeks ago from her job at Safeway. From the East Precinct police files comes this tale of employee theft and Frappuccinos at the corner of 15th and E. John:
On 7-21-09 at 1600, while working uniformed police security for Safeway at E. John St, the store afternoon manager introduced me to [redacted] who is internal security for Safeway. [redacted] told me that... Safeway store manager received a complaint that the suspect (Safeway employee barista in the store Starbucks Kiosk) had been taking pastries and blended drinks routinely at the end of her shift from the Starbucks Kiosk inside Safeway at [E John] and not paying. [redacted] told me he reviewed the in store tapes (entered into evidence) and witnessed that the suspect did...
This account of an attempted home break-in in Radio Point will make you want to go double-check your deadbolts -- or be thankful you live in a condo or apartment building. The post showed up on CHS Monday morning but I didn't want to bring it to everybody's attention until I was able to get more details and confirm a few facts with SPD. Here's the description of the attempted break-in:
12.30am Sunday morning January 11 we experienced an attempted break-in to our townhome on 18th Avenue. We were home upstairs, with the lights on. The door bell at our upper door (split level entry) rang a few times in quick succession, followed by a brief wait, and another few rings. We stayed quiet; discussing whether or not to see what was up.
Shortly thereafter, they tried to kick in our lower door and break the frame. This shook the front of the house and was very forceful. At this point I (Matthew) came downstairs while Tricia phoned 911. I looked out the window and noticed there were two young gang members (confirmed later...
The Seattle Police Department has released these security camera images of a man suspected in connection with a sexual assault aboard a Metro Transit Route 3 bus earlier this month.
The Seattle Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance. On March 2, 2009 at approximately 3:30 p.m., an unknown male assaulted a woman aboard Metro bus route # 3. This was an assault with sexual motivation. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, in his 20’s, 5’6”, thin, wearing a Washington State University sweatshirt. The suspect’s image was captured on video. If you know who this person is, please contact Detective Young of the Seattle Police Department at (206) 684-8037. You may also e-mail him at Christopher.young@seattle.gov . Callers may also contact Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Route 3 travels betwen Queen Anne and Madrona passing through the Capitol Hill area just south of Seattle University. The investigation marks the second sex crime on a Metro bus in the area in recent weeks. A 51-year-old man was charged with felony indecent exposure after an incident on the #5 bus in late February.
UPDATE: The $1 value came from the report but might have been just a filler amount for the officer completing the report. I've asked SPD for clarification. Regardless, one buck doesn't make any sense for an entire ounce so revising the headline. Does the new amount change your thoughts on the incident?
UPDATE: Here's some additional info and a good note for future crime report perusal from SPD spokesperson Mark Jamieson:
On the new reporting system it is important to read the narrative in its entirety. The total amount of marijuana was 27.2 grams, which, as you can imagine is way more than $1.00. Here is the explanation for the why $1.00 was entered:
All property entered on a property report must have a value. Either enter the estimated value, $1.00 for UNKNOWN value, or $2.00 for NO value.
Since it was unknown what the exact value was, the officer chose to enter $1.00 for UNKNOWN. The value could be anywhere $270.00 on (since marijuana prices currently run anywhere from $10 to $20 a gram, depending on location, quality, demand, etc.) Hope that explains it for you.
This week, in the interest of diversity and in celebration of this weekend's Seattle Hempfest 2009, we bring you another tale of the Seattle Police Department's war on drugs: A $1 (to $270 depending on quality) marijuana bust in Dick's parking lot
UPDATE 9:47 PM: Actors! From an eyewitness inside the Carroll Kensington Apartments: "the people upstairs were rehearsing for a play w/ fake guns. Got the swat team called on them. Just about every cop in Seattle"
In late May, police officers swarmed Broadway and briefly detained a man dressed in paramilitary gear for a zombie costume contest.
UPDATE 12:45 AM: A report of the incident from SPD has been posted here I've reviewed the scanner archive to try to learn more about what happened. A 911 call came in at 8:31 PM reporting that an unknown man had told the caller someone may be getting robbed at gunpoint. Officers arrived and walked with the caller to the brick Carroll Kensington apartment building where he said he believed the robbery occurred.
Officers observed people looking down from an upper floor window of the building and then shutting the blinds.
Around 8:42 PM an officer reported descriptions of two suspects in the building -- a white male and woman in their 20s, both with unknown handguns....
UPDATE - 11:56 PM: Slog deals in with information from a man who was 'questioned by police' who has a slightly different interpretation of the situation than the former employee's account: According to the man questioned by police, the speakeasies were an “art project” and the people involved “just love to play cards.” The Slog's source also says the operation had only been running at 11th and Pike for six months but was the latest location in a series of speakeasies operated by the same person.
ORIGINAL REPORT: This morning's vice squad bust shut down a secret card room and saloon that has been operating at 11th and E. Pike for 'several years,' a former employee of the illegal casino says.
The employee, who asked to remain anonymous citing fears that he will be connected to the activities and arrested, said he worked at the business in various capacities including occasionally manning the door and the sliding window where late night gamblers presented the password required to gain entrance to the place everybody called 'the speakeasy.'
While he wouldn't identify the owner, the employee said the speakeasy was operated by a man who left 'a pretty good job' to run the card room and that customers included a 'high profile DJ' who was also among the people detained by police last night.
The employee said he no longer worked for the business but still frequented the establishment and had been hanging out there only a night before the big bust.
My Sources (at the muni court and at Anne Michelson properties) are telling me that he was busted on drug charges. Running a poker game as a non-profit "friendly game" is -legal- in Washington state, and this might have been a private room that charges money to play... however this is apparently irrelevant (or was the excuse for the raid) I don't think that you can get in a whole lot of trouble for just the gambling charge. The Tenant was arraigned today, I'm guessing the other players won't face any charges
But I will modify my headline from 'illegal card room' to straight-up 'card room.'
Meanwhile, it appears that the case might stretch across the city into other neighborhoods. There was a similar bust last night in West Seattle that the Seattle Police Department is remaining equally mum about citing an 'ongoing investigation.'
Update from jseattle: We have a solution to allow anybody to embed that we're ready to roll out any day now. In meantime, I can do it for you. Here's your Street View find from 12th Ave E. Looks like a meter maid is doing some lecturing!
UPDATE 8/10/09 12:50 PM: Seattle Police Department spokesperson Mark Jamieson says Sunday's incident is not currently being investigated by the bias crimes unit because there is no evidence that the beating was motivated by the person's gender or sexual preference.
The incident report from Sunday afternoon by the responding officer details that the victim and suspect were found sitting near each other on the sidewalk near Howell and Bellevue. The victim was bleeding from the head and mouth but the emergency crew who responded said his injuries were minor. The report did not indicate if the victim was transgendered as was reported by the e-mail CHS received about the incident (see the original report, below).
Three eyewitnesses including the person who called 911 to report the attack said they saw the suspect hold the victim down on the sidewalk and punch the man repeatedly in the head. No witnesses reported hearing any bias related statements from the suspect and the suspect said he knew the victim and that he thought...
Received this e-mail about a Wednesday night mugging from a Hill neighbor who forwarded it from a neighborhood safety group she is part of. For context, robbery on the Hill is down so far this year according to Seattle Police Department statistics, but we're seeing plenty of reports like these, often targeting electronics like iPhones.
Last night R and I were driving home from a show when a guy flagged us down in the street. He'd was out for a jog around Aloha and 11th when a group of about seven teenagers mugged him and ran off with his iPod. He needed someone to call 911 for him. So here are some thoughts for you:
* First: Don't go for a walk or a jog alone at night with your headphones on. Alas, you're an easy, easy, obvious target. On a related note: You should probably keep that iPhone of yours in your pocket when you're strolling around at night. Don't go texting and walking at the same time. You may as well hang a sign around your neck that says: Mug Me!
CHS received a phone call today from a man who claims to have been a frequent patron of The Yard, the speakeasy and card room raided by SWAT and FBI officers early Thursday morning. Like the man who claimed to be a former employee of the casino, the caller also would only speak to CHS if he could remain anonymous so, as zeebleoop reminds, take his words with a grain of salt.
Unlike the former employee, today's caller, the gambler, provided us with a phone number to reach Richard W. Wilson, or, as people call him, Rick. CHS reached Rick's voicemail. This is Rick. Here comes the beep. BEEP.
