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Broadway robbery suspect armed with gun *and* knife uses bike, Metro for getaway

A distinctively large robbery suspect armed to the teeth and well-equipped for urban transportation held up a victim at E Pine and Harvard in the 1700 block of Broadway late Monday night.

According to police radio dispatches, the armed robbery happened just before 11:30 PM and involved a suspect of unusual size who was armed with a bicycle, local knowledge of the Metro bus system, an apparent .22 caliber hand gun and a 15-inch knife. Or, as the SPD dispatcher said, “That’s not a knife — that’s a machete.”

The suspect, described as a black male, around 5’8″ and 250 to 300 pounds, wearing a white baseball cap, tan jacket and blue pants and pushing a red or blue bicycle, held his victim up, tucked away his weaponry and proceeded to catch Route 60. UPDATE: The preliminary report indicates the suspect fled on a Route 50 bus.

According to police radio dispatches, officers were unable to locate the suspect once they were able to pin down which bus he had apparently loaded his bike onto before escaping. A man matching the suspect’s description reportedly exited the bus farther south on Broadway near James near Harborview.

The victim was apparently uninjured and was able to flee to E Pine and Harvard and call 911 by borrowing a passerby’s phone. We have no further details on anything else that was stolen in the rip-off.

While the suspect’s details are relatively thin, his size does match the description of this armed robbery suspect who managed to pull of two hold-ups on First Hill and Capitol Hill earlier this month.

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DB McWeeberton
DB McWeeberton
10 years ago

It amazes me when someone can successfully use Metro as a means of escape, especially at night! That bus runs once an hour in the evening, and the last one was supposed to hit Broadway & Pine at 11:16.

FedRepOG
FedRepOG
10 years ago

5’8″ and 300 pounds?!! I am surprised he didn’t simply fall down on Pine and roll down the hill.

123AD123
123AD123
10 years ago

Maybe if Metro had cameras in buses that worked…

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
10 years ago

Good grief….if they can’t catch a guy on a bus that’s SO easy to spot as this guy, what can we expect from them from suspects who more easily blend in? What did they need, a GPS attached to him?

etaoin shrdlu
etaoin shrdlu
10 years ago

Maybe if a one-ton assailant took a bus to a donut shop and got wedged in a booth, the SPD might be able to apprehend him. At least if the timing were right.

motab
10 years ago

Hum… The 60 doesn’t go by Broadway and James. It turns off of Broadway at Madison, then turns on 9th and heads South past Harborview (and James) before it winds its way back to Broadway near Yesler. And DB McWeeberton is right–that bus should have passed Pine around 11:15 (though the 60 is typically late even though it is at the beginning of the route). And I assume he had to load his bike on the front of the bus which should have delayed getting on and off. And SPD still couldn’t figure out the bus? Maybe they should ride it more often so they know which buses go where.

motab
10 years ago
Reply to  jseattle

It might have been an off-route 43. Late night they will turn off of John and head south on Broadway rather than continue to downtown. Most drivers will pick up/drop off people along the way. The only regular bus service that goes down Broadway to James would be the 9, but it stops service at 7:00 pm.

motab
10 years ago
Reply to  jseattle

Okay, now SPD is saying it was on a Route 50 bus? That makes no sense at all. The route 50 goes between Alki and the Othello station. It doesn’t go any further north than Lander. There’s no way it picked this guy up on Broadway near Pine (or let him off near Harborview). If he got off near Harborview I think your initial report of route 60 bus is more accurate. I can’t believe a blog has to correct the SPD.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
10 years ago

Too bad he had the gun….wouldn’t have been too hard to outrun him.
You’d only have to keep it up for a block or two.

Geoff
Geoff
10 years ago
Reply to  Jim98122x

:-)