10/3/25: That helicopter manhunt over Capitol Hill? It was part of Seattle’s war on graffiti (Image: @douglasm69 with permission to CHS)
No felony charges have been filed in the gunpoint arrest of a wanted tagger who was chased through the streets of Capitol Hill by a Seattle Police K9 unit and the King County Sheriff’s Guardian One helicopter late last month.
CHS reported here on the Tuesday night manhunt pursuing Montrell Shawn Clifton that stretched along Harvard Ave E with officers swarming the area as the law enforcement helicopter tracked the suspect from above.
SPD later said witnesses had reported Clifton pointed a gun in a confrontation near the building home to the Broadway Market QFC leading to the heavy-handed pursuit. Police were unable to locate a firearm. After his arrest, police say Clifton claimed the gun was a lighter.
According to the report on his arrest, one of the pursuing officers “recognized Clifton from previous incidents and knew Clifton was previously arrested for felony offences, known to carry firearms and run away from officers.”
Clifton has been a frequent target for SPD. In late 2024, the Seattle City Attorney and King County Prosecutor touted charges against 17 of the city’s most notorious tagging suspects. Clifton, now 33, was on the list. In its charges in that case, the county prosecutor said Clifton was “a leading member of ‘Big Time Mobb’ or ‘BTM’, one of the more infamous graffiti crews in the Seattle area.”
The night of the manhunt, a black backpack reportedly containing spray cans was recovered during the chase. Police also said they found an unspent round of ammunition and 2.8 grams of alleged methamphetamine.
According to court records, Clifton faces a misdemeanor drug possession charge. He has also been charged with obstruction for running from police and the sheriff chopper.
The defendant is also now subject to a Stay Out of Drug Area order barring him from entering Capitol Hill’s SODA ZONE 4, the city’s leading zone for banishment orders.
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This is a slap on the wrist. He deserves jail time for all the property damage he has caused, and to send a message to other graffiti “artists.”
a slap on the wrist is when a judge gives a light sentence. prosecutors charge people with crimes they can substantiate in court. if they aren’t bringing felony charges it is because they did not have evidence or the evidence they do have only fits lesser charges. that’s how the justice system is supposed to work – not on vibes from people who don’t like the accused.
I respectfully suggest that someone sneak into the hanger and tag the helicopters.