It’s been an interesting 12 hours on Capitol Hill. Here is what we’ve been able to track down.
- Metro manhunt: @Doranmcb writes: “SPD searched #8 bus on Olive this morning@ ~8am this morning.. looking for suspect still in restraints. Any idea what this was?” SPD tells us a man was arrested wearing a surgical mask and carrying some kind of cutting device this morning on the backside of Pike/Pine. “This was a man who an officer had involuntarily committed to HMC for a mental evaluation,” and SPD spokesperson said. “He walked away from the Hospital in his restraints and was caught later.”
- Metro pepper spray: Seattle Fire rallied to a “multiple casualty incident” on a Metro Route 7 bus just before 8 PM Wednesday night. It’s the kind of call, by the way, that makes a reporter’s heart sink into a reporter’s stomach. Fortunately, the initial report of 20 victims of a mass pepper spraying on the bus turned out to really be only one victim. Police were dispatched but turned away after it was reported that the person the victim said was responsible had apparently left the scene.
- Comet disturbance: Police did show up in force to the Comet tavern Wednesday night around 10:00 to a reported disturbance of an undisclosed nature that was enough to bring a medic crew and several SPD cruisers to the scene. SPD tells us the incident was cleared as a code “Q” — apparently signifying that neither a victim nor a suspect could be found. Seattle Fire also canceled its run to the scene. UPDATE: We have details and are gathering more information about what actually went down outside the Comet. The cleared incident was not related to a more serious callout. Details soon.
@SvetlanaWasHere reported: “11 police vehicles at the comet. appears to have been a fight. Pretty excessive for a fight”
Meanwhile, somebody damaged a window at Quinn’s across the street later in the night. Mystery, that.
- Stranger critic: This guy was spotted on First Hill wearing a bathrobe, throwing copies of the Stranger into the street Thursday morning.
- Moving truck thief: This couple’s possessions ripped off in a March moving truck theft on Capitol Hill turned up in a barn in Renton. UPDATE: SPD wants to know if you recognize any of this stuff:
- Boom: There was a large boom Wednesday night around 11:30 PM.
Hmm lots of mysterious behavior. Is it a full moon?
I saw that fight out side of the comet. They near took my head off with a full can of “Monster”. There were a few dogs involved also. The fight started out side of the QFC on Pike and Broadway and moved to the middle of the street in between the Comet and Neumos. By the time the cops had arrived they had all run into the park, where they continued to yell obscenities.
This fits with some unconfirmed details I’ve heard. Thanks for the info.
I was on that bus, and it was actually the 49, not the 7. There was a 7 parked behind us when we stopped, assumedly the reason for the confusion. Also, technically it was 20 ‘victims’ (actually probably more), as we were all coughing, eyes tearing, noses running, etc, when we first got hit by the spray but by the time the EMT’s got there everyone was pretty much fine. No clue how it happened or who did it, all of a sudden the bus was just full of the stuff. Wasn’t pleasant.
Thanks for the clarifications about what actually went down. Glad everybody came out mostly ok!
“This was a man who an officer had involuntarily committed to HMC for a mental evaluation,” and SPD spokesperson said. “He walked away from the Hospital in his restraints and was caught later.”
Disturbingly, not the first time I’ve heard of someone who was ‘involuntarily committed’ just walking out of HMC.
Oh, so glad to hear that couple’s stuff was recovered!
To the lady that thinks the response is excessive…….do you know any facts about what happened outside of counting the cop cars?