A 22-year old man was working on his car Tuesday afternoon behind Honest Jack’s Discount Auto Parts store at Rainier Avenue South and South Othello Street when witnesses say another man walked down an adjacent street and fired three to four rounds – striking him at least once in the chest.
“He just walked down the hill, pulled out a gun and shot him three times,” said a witness who declined to be identified. “It was cold.”
Police responded to two 911 calls just before 2:30 pm and found the man lying in front of his car – the hood still up – and numerous witnesses who spent the afternoon being interviewed by homicide detectives.
They all tell a similar story: An old, beat-up car parked near a daycare center at the top of the Garden street hill just west of Rainier Avenue South; a young, light-skinned black man in his late teens or early 20s wearing a white t-shirt got out, walked down the hill and fired several shots at the victim before running back up the hill and taking off in the car.
That said, SPD spokesman Mark Jamieson (below) provided no suspect or vehicle descriptions for neighbors to be on the look-out for.
Top: Homicide detectives are actively investigating Tuesday’s shooting at Rainier and Othello. Below: Paramedics worked on the 29-year old victim for several minutes before he was transported to Harborview with life-threatening injuries. Photo/do communications, inc.
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This is getting WAY OUT of HAND!
This is bullshit – do not reelect Mayor Nickles since he is ignoring and dumping on the south end. Why can’t we have a gun amnesty program? Here is an example of what they are doing in Sydney to fight crime:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/gun-amnesty-under-way-20090301-8l9r.html
I don’t believe this is the first time this person has been shot.
Same old story though. another one gets away.
Action NOW!
I am so tired of this shit. The mayor is at their commander, but I want more answers from the SPD. I just tried to call the south precinct to get an incident number to post. There was no answer. Keep calling, keep demanding follow up. 206-733-9800.
Right!
This calls for IMMEDIATE discussion!
How about some new leadership, and I don’t mean the Mayor.
I mean anyone other than the SSCPC.
We deserve this, folks.
We can do this.
Let’s shoot up somewhere else for a while !
“Let’s shoot up somewhere else for a while !”
No, let’s shoot up here. Clean needles. No prison.
That way all the caffeine, nicoteine, THC, Morphine, ETOH users will be on the same footing. Tax us to the hilt.
Build a train over our bodies that we can all use into the future.
But please, get rid of those local MFrs sucking the life out of the SE.
I’ve never had any need to deal with SPD spokesman Mark Jamieson. Can he do his job or can’t he? What motivates him?
C’mon folks, we have the lowest crime rate since the 1960′s. That amazing fact helped get Gil Kerlikowski a great job with the Obama administration. It will probably help Nickels get re-elected too.
At last week’s meeting of the Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council (SSCPC) Captain Liggins said that increase in residential burglaries had leveled off. Is “leveled off” a good thing? I wish SPD would produce some data. What about gang activity? What about shootings? What about violence at bus stops? How about hate crimes?
It sure would be nice if the Mayor would order SPD to release montly crime statistics to the community. The crime council has been asking for crime statistics since about 2005. I wonder if there’s a reason we can’t have monthly crime statistics?
If you think things are bad now, just wait. Crime always increases beginning in June.
Just when did this rift between Mark J. and the RVP develope?
Is this a long-standing dipute? Is it diferent than the other disputes with the SPD?
“Crime always increases beginning in June.”
That’s not something I’m looking forward to, but I think it’s probably true. If I were a petty crook, I wouldn’t be out in the rainy season, either.
My Rainier Beach neighbors agree that crime hasn’t been this low in quite awhile. But then, they don’t have an agenda.
From the CD News – they caught this on the scanner:
2:28PM – Rainier Ave S. & S. Othello – Assault – Person shot down south. Suspect is a black male, 20s, black short hair, dark shirt & pants possibly gray or blue, last seen westbound. Possibly associated vehicle is a newer dark green 4-door Cadillac STS driven by a black male in a white tshirt. Possible first 3 number of license plate is 612.
The anti-crime groups the Mayor has been supporting, as compared to the crime council, have been, and continue to be failures. The crime council is the ONLY group that has stood up and challenged the status quo. You should put aside your personal agenda and look at how they exposed the Mayor’s phony stats and blew his “lowest crime rates in 40 years” statistics right out of the water.
The big point is the community needs to work together as a community and not under the leadership of another city entity like SNG. This needs to be a grassroots effort that swells up and takes off. We need to work together in an effort to Unite the churches, the PTA, the developers, the businesses, the community councils, and the schools to March on City Hall! If we put a couple hundred people in the streets and shut down 4th avenue during rush hour it would make the news more than the deaths of 15 children in South Seattle. Sad, but true. The Mayor hates bad PR and the Media likes drama. If it’s the only tool we have we should use it.
Would you do that Ratzby? It’s been a while since you’ve been active outside of your aggressive penmanship. By the way, you owe me a call.
SSSL
“This needs to be a grassroots effort that swells up and takes off”
That’s what I would love, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. We need to knock down the separation of the business community, which has a rightful place, from the mass of residents in this Valley.
Right now, and for the last couple of decades, there has been a deliberate wall between them. And because I don’t own a business (just a fricken lawn) I’m on that other side.
It is not, nor has it ever been, the Mayor that’s causing this separation. If he has shortcomings they are no different than Obama’s or Bush’s or any other politician’s (Okay, maybe a little different than Bush’s). That’s the game.
But our local leaders are NOT subject to the same standards, and they should be if they want to wield that kind of power over us.
You know all I have is my lousy penmanship That and $4 will get me a cup of coffee.
Email me and at least I could bitch to someone with mischievious eyes.
This is great, right on the heels of Councilmember Conlin saying that we should slow down the hiring of police officers because of budget crunches.
You know what? In 2008, the south precinct got 20% larger but the police force stayed the same. And through a Public Disclosure Request, the stats just happened to jump through the roof for S Seattle!
Let me refresh everyone’s memory:
South Seattle Crime Statistics: Comparison between 2007 & 2008 for the South Precinct
% Increase from 2007 (2008 partial year only)
Assault; 482 /1024 (07/08); +112% (Delta between years)
Residential Burglary 849/1001; +18%
Auto Theft 590/623; +6%
Non-Residential Burglary 109/313; +187%
Robbery 180/228; +27%
Armed Robbery 85 /106; +25%
Drive-By 18 /8 ; (-56%)
Rape 53 /32 ; (-60%)
Murder 5 /9; 80%
“You know what? In 2008, the south precinct got 20% larger but the police force stayed the same.”
Ray? Fred? Pat?
I don’t know who anyone is anymore…
Neale/Ratzby, what is the association between Jenna’s posting and Fred, Ray, and Pat? The reality is that crime is up as noted by documentation provided by the city of Seattle; it is also a reality that the Neighborhood Policing Plan might have adversely impacted the South Precinct.
Ratzby, I owe you a phone call. I’m busy and tired.
Tom A., how did your year-over-year statistics take into account the 20% increase in the area of the South Precinct in 2008? Did the SPD normalize the data somehow, or did you? It’s a friendly question.
The increases were much higher than the 7-9% the city forecasted as part of the neighborhood policing plan. Increases in the range of 50-150% for serious crime categories were not anticipated and my sense is the city is still evaluating what to do……
Ironically, right after the crime council released the public disclosure request, the south precinct started getting more officers. Last I heard we were in the 90′s but still off from the 110 we were promised.
I was at City Hall yesterday voicing my concerns yet again and I think they’re beginning to understand how serious the problems are in our neighborhood – but I’m not convinced they care and are going to react unless there are political consequences. I hope all of us stick together and fight the battle with city hall together. The long term solutions should be around infrastructure, jobs and education not incarceration.
Think there might be a connection? Think we can collaborate between the CD and SE Seattle to solve this? Fugettabout the Mayor’s ‘programme’.
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/04/07/shots-fired-at-garfield
“what is the association between Jenna’s posting and Fred, Ray, and Pat?”
Well, after many hundreds of glimpses on the internet over the last decade (and more) there is a big difference between blog/opinion postings between people interested in reducing crime or improving the Valley, and people with just one goal: bringing down our beloved Mayor.
The latter all could have been written by one person, cut and pasted.
All the same, lame, cluster bomb of arguments.
Can I be faulted if I read the same one over and over again and get dry heaves? YEARS, Tom.
I would just like it if they’d mix it up a bit. Shread the talking points for once. Be humans. Fool me a little. Something!
BTW, what have they done with ahow?
You know what’s cut and pasted over, and over, Ratzby? Your outrage at the outrage.
That is bullshit republican tactics and it has no point for discussion other than to make the problem (crime) subordinate to your annoyance at the whatever (and I put an emphasis on whatever).
What’s your point anyway, that you’re not being indulged enough? Get over yourself.
ahow is moving…….like many families who can afford to leave the Rainier valley. Without good schools and with the everlasting fear of being caught in a crossfire on Rainier Avenue, many folks are leaving. As you once pointed out to me, many of your neighbors are moving to the Eastside for these reasons. Some say this is good because the ones leaving support gentrification – if gentrification means that children/families are safe, we have jobs within the community, and the parks support the density, I’m all for gentrification. Having a Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or Metropolitan Market is not a bad thing to me. I may be naive, but I think the unique cultures can be preserved at the same time infrastructure and retailers are brought into a community.
Tom
Tom
This news was apparently not deemed important enough to make the Seattle Times.
It was also not on the morning news. But hey, apparently, some dead guy was elected mayor somewhere. Exciting stuff!!
Ratzby-
Not sure if you’re looking for me because I make you wanna barf or what, you know I’ve got serious girl on girl affection for Jenna.
Tom is correct, I’m working diligently to sell my house and get out of the valley. Although the east side makes ME wanna barf…MI? double blech…no way not for me.
I don’t know if my presence signals the onslaught of a feared or revered version of gentrification, I didn’t move here with such feelings of self grandisement. We all have our own reasons for being here, and my hopes have been dashed. Maybe because of Bush, maybe because of Nickels, maybe because of the Seattle Times. btw luigia, don’t hold your breath for them, they are the NofI90Eoffloatingbridge-Seattle Times. They don’t have “readership” where we live, so we don’t have coverage where we live.
Please don’t confuse their need to sell papers and ads with a need to serve the community. And now that the PI is online only, they’ll sink even further into their “niche”.
My blogging time is fast on the decline. All I can say is, support the RVP. Vote for Jenna Walden. And store water and rice…
Like I said a couple days ago……nobody cares about the dead children and victims in our neighborhood, our bad schools, our unmonitored parks, or the crappy above ground light rail system. Perhaps that’s why they don’t have park n rides on the light rail? They don’t want us poor people ridin the luxury liners to the East Side when it is up and running nor do they want business travelers from downtown to see us – we are very scary after all.
Anyway, the shootings won’t make the news unless they go to Queen Anne or Southcenter to pull the triggers. The city may even want us poor people to keep shooting each other within our boundaries rather than having the exposure of anymore shootings that are newsworthy in safer neighborhoods.
I never thought SeaTac was that nice but even their shootings make it into the paper:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009002897_webseatacshooting07m.html
Hey guys, the news was in fact in the Seattle Times this morning, on page B3, with a photo! Also on page three there are smaller mentions of other events:
– Three men shot in Sea-Tac
–Fort Lewis soldier shot and killed
–Lewis County gas station worked run over and killed
–Woman shot and killed in Tacoma
I wonder if residents of all these other crime locations are kvetching that no one cares about their neighborhoods. (Actually, they probably are.
Also on page B3, there’s a note that they decided to give free parking permits to all South end residents near the train hubs (instead of charging for them as originally planned). That’s good, right?
I could afford to move, but I won’t. I like it here. I don’t believe diversity and gentrification are mutually exclusive.
Here’s an interesting article, also in Seattle Times (boy, do I miss the PI by the way).
Magnolia man complains that police are totally unresponsive, after being the victim of multiple crimes.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2009003719_danny08.html
Susan, “kvetching” I think is the right word. There’s a bright line but sometimes narrow line between being a community advocate and being a kvetch. The latter are tiresome.
I also like how you ratchet your scope up to take in other Seattle neighborhoods and even communities. Gives perspective?
Susan-
Agreed, nice catchin’ on the kvetchin’. I am a lover of the Seattle Times bashing, I have unique hobbies. But you are probably totally correct that they do often report on things we sort of assume they haven’t, partly because a “brazen mid-day shooting” is relegated to section B page 3…some of us down here can’t help but wonder if the SPD and media response would be different if that happened right off of California Ave… But other parts of town are having the same issues, everyone is experiencing more crime and less response than they are used to. Its just that our baseline in SE Seattle is different. And apparently like Sen. Kline says, we need to buckle down and accept that it will get worse. Or cough up more $.
Hmm. Store water and rice people, water and rice…
Susan, concur with all your thoughts. I missed the on-line article in the times and I cancelled the physical paper when it switched from the PI to the times.
Sometimes it is hard not to fall in the trap of becoming too negative about the situation down here. It would be interesting though to see if other communities have the same trends of crimes going up as well as the sheer volume of crimes south seattle seems to be experiencing.
I also liked your point about diversity and gentrification not being mutually exclusive.
On a lighter note, at least the shooter didn’t hit any bystanders.
I spoke to someone from Whitecenter about 3 months ago and asked them how things were out there. He is involved with the community. He said things were really cleaning up and happy with the situation.
Someone else had another perspective of the upward trend in combating crime at Whitecenter: that King County and the City were anxious to get it annexed into the city and so were doubling efforts to lower the crime stats for annexation approval.
The above is speculation, but just passing on a discussion that Whitecenter seems to be the exception to the rule (in terms of an upward trend in crime).
On the other hand, we went to an auto repair shop in Belltown and I was pretty surprised to see how many homeless and druggies were hanging around the streets during the day. So Belltown gets their share of social ills as well. But for some reason the guns are an absent presence unlike our neighborhoods.
“at least the shooter didn’t hit any bystanders.”
That’s always my concern when bullets start flying, especially when the shooters are kids in moving cars, but according to the many witnesses at yesterday’s scene, this was a straight up execution attempt as the shooter walked a block down Garden, in full view and approached the victim at fairly close range. In broad daylight at a major intersection. So scary…
Very scary, and as I mentioned at the beginning of the blog, I don’t believe this is the first time he’s been shot.
@southseattlescarlettletter: How do you know that and why does it matter?
I just called the South precinct at (206) 386-1850 (the number listed above is for the SW precinct). The woman who answered was very friendly and willing to help, although she had little to share about the shooting. She providing me with the report number for those who expressed an interest in reviewing the police report. 09-117206. Does anyone have an idea of how we can turn this information in to something positive? It is a good opportunity for us to join together and show concern, but unfortunately I feel as though unless we a “game plan” it will be viewed as nothing more than ranting and raving.
“Dana” said, “I just called the South precinct ….The woman who answered was very friendly and willing to help”.
Are you sure you called the SEATTLE police department?? I’d double-check that phone number if I were you.
Yep, SEATTLE police department. South precinct.
Daylight executions on Rainier Avenue yielding no arrests means it’s probably time to strap on some six-shooters, gas up your horse, and re-watch ‘Wild Wild West’ a few times to learn how to survive out there. And enjoy the classic, feel-good comedy stylings of Big Willie Style.
“You know what’s cut and pasted over, and over, Ratzby? Your outrage at the outrage.”
Didn’t mean to piss you off, Pat.
How is it that Tom is knee-deep in this, but seems immune to the BS? That’s a vaccine we all could use. Or is it the green tea?
Who’s Pat?
Never met you in my life, Neal. But I have heard about you. It is certainly self-evident how your unsuccessful hostile take-over of the Crime Council has resorted you to smearing it and targeting derision at people and entities who volunteer their time for community well being.
You have yet to argue about any of the facts brought up in the discovered crime stats, you just want to bitch, because you have a bone to pick. What is your point that Tom A. doesn’t bite to your taunting?
Once again, you bitch about nothing at all, just to bitch.
And the crime continues under Ratzby’s certitude and dissatisfaction; but with no hand offered in good faith.
BTW, read South Beacon Journal while waiting for sushi tonight. They reported 2 women on 3/29 at separate locations on Rainier got punched in the face, kicked in the back and stomach and their cash got stolen. Pretty sweet.
What nothing point do you want to bitch about next, Ratzby?
“Who’s Pat?”
Who’s Neal?
Tom’s immune from it not because he got the vaccine but he focuses on the end goal rather than the inter-personal dynamics & politics.
This is funny (not the shooting but the blaming and naming) I’m pretty sure I know who Ratzby is (I’ll give you a call about a BB-Q soon, tell K I said hi) and it’s not Neal.
@ Mark B, I’d like to get in on the BBQ.
and tell John I say hello.
I worked pretty hard in the Council, and rose to VP. But I just couldn’t break that “glass ceiling”. Advocating for housing for our poorest citizens was my real calling, and I’m better for it.
Good luck, Tom.
Mark, you may have seen K in front of Lottie’s the other day. She says “Hi”.
—-Neale
“I’ll give you a call about a BB-Q soon”
Marky Mark, you know I’ll eat anything well-cooked on two or four legs, endangered or not. If they’re endangered, they’re worth more.
I’ll baste.
—Kneel
disgruntled volunteer who wanted more power but didn’t get it. exactly.
Wonder why Seattle city leaders seem to be out of touch with the problems of real people in southeast Seattle? They’re paralyzed by our rising crime, hoping it will just go away and they won’t have to spend any more money in southeast Seattle. There is no rescue plan for southeast Seattle. There are no jobs programs. There is no city-funded economic stimulus plan to attract new business to southeast Seattle (as other cities have). Why? Because these initiatives require money and a shift in city priorities.
Southeast Seattle simply isn’t important enough. We don’t vote in numbers that threaten city leaders. Southeast Seattle is not on the city’s list of priorities because there is no down side to ignoring us. Conlin is even suggesting that the city might have to ‘slow down’ police hiring. Can you imagine the arrogance of that statement? Yet eight of nine members of the city council recently voted to proceed with the “Mercer Mess” project, committing multi-millions of dollars to a project that mostly benefits Paul allen. (Only Nick Licata opposed this boondoggle).
Our Mayor and City Council serve other masters. Trolley’s and new streets and underground utilities for Paul Allen’s South Lake Union project are the focus of your tax dollars. It’s YOUR money but our Mayor and City Council work hard every day to give the money to Paul Allen and other influential citizens. They can’t wrap their minds around how to create jobs, fill vacant storefronts, combat gangs & guns, and put enough police on the streets to prevent people from being beaten at bus stops. City leaders would rather spend money on a pretty new improvements. City leaders just voted to temporarily delay the first $150,000,000 for the South Lake Union redevelopment project, but only until they can figure out how to pay for it. Ultimately, city leaders will figure out a way to pay for the “Mercer Mess”. But just imagine what the city could do if they decided to invest 150 million dollars in southeast Seattle?
What are the priorities of our Mayor & City Council? Mayor Nickels top priority is South Lake Union. He has been doing everything in his power to influence Olympia so he can get his hands on Obama stimulus money so that the city can proceed with the 240 million dollar project to fix the “Mercer Mess”. (Never mind the fact that the “fix” will more than double travel times to and from Seattle Center, opposite of the stated goal of reducing congestion). Richard Conlin is focused on plastic garbage bags. When Sally Clark was given a report by the Police Oversight Committee, documenting wrong-doing, she had the choice to release the report or withhold the report. She made a decision to bury the report. Her actions assured that city leaders would be protected from embarassment and the public would never see the report. This is what your elected leaders are doing.
Everyone should visit South Lake Union. I’m sure you’ll be very proud when you how city leaders have spent your tax dollars to promote a new jobs and development there.
Does anyone know why the police chopper was flying above my house on Friday night at 2:30 -3:30 between Orcas and Graham. It was flying low and the police were shining their light in people’s yards and houses. I guess they didn’t catch anyone because it didn’t make any news. They were flying low, so low I could feel the wind from the chopper and see in detail the paint design on the side. And yeah people get killed on Othello or anywhere on Rainier for that matter. It is usually easier to get the drop on someone during the day because if you are on Rainier at night and you are not paying attention to anyone withing shot of you, you are an idiot it has been like this for 30 at least 25 years. My guess would be that that yellow boy that poped him is known because that takes nerves and the police want to act like they don’t know anything so maybe he wont toss the gun of put the car up. Who got shot I haven’t had time to ask people.
Re Friday night: Apparently a car was fleeing from Skyway on Rainier and turned west onto S. Graham St. They drove into a telephone pole at 47th Ave S, leaving one guy injured in the car, while two others took off. They were caught on Rainier by the Fire Station. I heard this from one of the tv stations.
No arrests yet in the South Othello Street shooting. But the 4 men who retaliated at Sea-Tac are in jail and charged with first-degree murder: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/405100_charges13.html (via Seattle P-I, by Levi Pulkkinen, 206-448-8348, levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com)
trellis: Thanks for the follow-up. I wonder how the victim of the Othello Street shooting is doing.
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